Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 06/01/2021 *Starred Review* When jazz legend Sonny Rollins’ neighbors complain about the sound of his practicing, he needs to find a better place than his apartment to make his music. Happily, he knows just the right place—a surprising one: New York City’s Williamsburg Bridge. There, with his head in the clouds and his feet on the walkway at the bridge’s top, he can play his saxophone as loud as he wants. And the ambient noises made by shrieking seagulls, the bass notes of tugboats, and the percussive sounds of passing subway cars blend with the musical sounds that he makes to offer an informal, open-air concert. Based on a true story, this charming picture book captures and shares the spirit and rhythm of Sonny’s playing. The free-verse text makes nice use of figurative language (“The river is a shiny endless song,” “the sprawling spider city”) and Ransome’s gorgeous representational art, richly created with watercolor and collage, expands the story beautifully. Together, text and art are a happy exercise in harmony to delight readers’ ears and eyes. Following the story, readers will find back matter offering more details on Rollins’ life, beliefs, and music, as well as on the Williamsburg Bridge. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 11/01/2021 Gr 2–5—This poetic book offers a glimpse into the life and music of Sonny Rollins. It begins with a description of the Bridge and the city surrounding it. Readers then follow Rollins as he is drawn to the bridge to play in harmony with the sounds of the city around him. The real strength of this work is its rich, figurative language. This book would be a terrific support to studying poetry with students. The verse is written in clear lines and stanzas that will support foundational poetry standards. Students could listen to the musicians's work with this narrative and draw parallels between what they hear in the music and what is described in the text. The lush watercolor illustrations are highly detailed and support the text wonderfully. Back matter includes details about and photographs of Rollins and the Williamsburg Bridge. Reading this back matter with students before analyzing the poetry will support their comprehension and connections. Positive representations of Black artists are always welcome additions to library collections, and this work stands out as a biography in verse. VERDICT Recommended for elementary collections, especially for poetry, biography, and music units.—Christina Salazar, Mesquite I.S.D., TX - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.