Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 04/15/2020 Pearl loves taking classes at her mother’s ballet school, where she’s the smallest student (except for Violet, her tutu-clad, mouse-like stuffed animal). When Mom mentions the possibility of Pearl attending preschool, the little dancer doesn’t see the point. Learning how to count? She knows how to count: “First position! Second position! Third position!” But when Pearl hears about activities such as finger painting and listening to stories, she talks it over with Violet, who decides to try preschool. At Mom’s suggestion, Pearl goes too. After Pearl builds with blocks, plays instruments, and dresses up like a mouse, Mom returns with a hug. And what was Pearl's favorite part of preschool? Dancing! The quiet, well-phrased text provides the story’s structure as well as moments of understated humor, while letting the expressive illustrations show elements of the story never mentioned in the text, such as a subway ride and a ballet performance. Created digitally, the artwork depicts the children, in particular, with a winsome quality that suits the story well. A pleasing picture book for young dance lovers. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.

Booklist - 04/15/2020 - Copyright 2020 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2020 PreS-K—A mother prepares a child for her next phase in life in this gentle picture book about starting preschool. Pearl is used to school—ballet school that is. Her mother teaches dance and Pearl is the youngest and smallest there (apart from Violet, her ballerina mouse). When her mother proposes preschool with children her own age, Pearl is tentative and curious. Mom supplies the answers to Pearl's questions throughout the course of their day: returning to their apartment via subway, drawing and reading, attending a ballet performance, and getting ready for bed. The next morning, Violet and Pearl decide they are ready for school. The story's focus is not on worry or apprehension regarding school, rather the exploration and processing of what it means to try something new. The mother does not push the issue, and lets Pearl guide the conversation as they draw comparisons between ballet and the activities at preschool. Pearl narrates; her three-year-old's voice is precocious and sweet. The illustrations are just as gentle as the story; though rendered digitally, they look like well-executed watercolors. Mom is chic and stylish, and Pearl is adorable with a mop of short curly black hair. Both are white, while the scenes at both schools and the ballet performance show a diverse cast. The illustrations are active as they portray the city life of this two-person family. VERDICT A recommended purchase for back-to-school collections.—Clara Hendricks, Cambridge P.L., MA - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.