Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/01/2020 K-Gr 2—Skeletina is a self-sufficient skeleton girl who lives in the in-between: a place of the dreams of sleeping children, the realm of the deceased with unfinished business, and home to all sorts of weird creatures and manifestations. "But, nothing scares Skeletina, although many of the odd creatures in the in-between world have definitely tried! And speaking of odd creatures, some of them are even her best friends." Skeletina is meant to be seen as a guide or comforting character for children to seek out when they are in the in-between, which is presented not as a scary place, but one where they can have their own agency. However, this idea barely comes through in the disorganized text, which doesn't immediately place Skeletina in the role of guide. Overuse of run-on sentences create a disjointed feel: "She knows that when she fears that someone is trying to sneak into her house, it is usually the shadow Creepers, who is just lonely and needs attention. Skeletina plays music for him and his eyes grow wide in surprise as he listens. Then he usually smiles and disappears as fast as he comes." Asibikaashi or Spider Woman, here presented as Skeletina's Spider Grandma, inspires the child to create beautiful webs—dream catchers. Spider Grandma embodies a sort of Native wise-woman stereotype, wearing fringed moccasins, chunky rings, bracelets, and a feathered dream catcher necklace. VERDICT Charming pen-and-ink illustrations are comic, but can't rescue the story from veering from a celebration of Latinx culture into appropriation of the Ojibwe. Not recommended for purchase.—Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Lib., MN - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 10/01/2023 The following review is for the Spanish edition of this title, Skeletina y el entremundo. In this lovely picture book, Skeletina introduces her lively cast of friends in the world of in-between, where the living visit while they are asleep. Skeletina enjoys meeting children who are visiting and helps them get over their fears or reunites them with loved ones who have passed away. Helped along by full-color cartoon illustrations drawn with pencils, the Spanish text invitingly introduces the dreamer to creatures that are happy to teach different skills, which will help them face fears, harness creativity, or find comfort. Despite the ghosts and skeletons, this isn’t scary, as the story is presented in a positive way, bursting with color and an emphasis on the fact that the world in-between can be shaped and molded however the dreamer wishes. A playful story full of Latinx cultural touchstones. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.