Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 10/01/2023 This poetic picture-book biography is a sensitively expressed tribute offered by Caldecott Honor Book author Joy, a fellow performer who shares Prince’s North Minneapolis roots. Lyrical, occasionally rhyming language and resonant metaphor describe how a young boy’s search for a place of belonging evolved into his passionate dedication to musical expression. With a palette drenched in purples, effectively contrasted with complementary yellows, Alcántara’s watercolors wash across rainy streets, lonely basements, and crowded dance floors to evoke moods in perfect harmony with the text. Back matter includes an extended note with a detailed life history of the artist, enhanced by the author’s personal reflections (“he was ours”) and “A Family Playlist” of Prince’s hits from 1978 to 1996. Through its compelling poetry, this poignant perspective on Prince’s boyhood illuminates the moments that led an ordinary boy to become a musician of extraordinary accomplishments. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 11/01/2023 PreS-Gr 3—The formula for biographies aimed at children can feel stale after a while: a person is born, overcomes hardship, and succeeds. This is a fresh take, expertly marrying pictures and text to the spirit of legendary musician Prince. The cresting wave of a story details a quiet boy rising through experiences, exploding in a performance full of future potential, before gently receding to show the boy gathering seeds for future beauty. Illustrations fill in narrative gaps. Details of Prince's life are told through swirling purple-tinged pictures. This frees up the text to take on a more lyrical slant. The words focus on the birth of sound, rhythmically echoing Prince's music. It's an incredible showcase found in "shouts and silence, slamming doors; whispering lilacs, basement floors." This dabbles in themes of overcoming difficulties and hard work, but cleverly twists them to value quiet curiosity and observation. Beauty is not in the flash of genius. It's in the "ordinary day," of holding those glories close until they become extraordinary. VERDICT This is a bold biography, finding inspiration from the subject and universalizing Prince's creativity through a gentle approach. It's perfect for elementary schools, especially as applied to music and art.—Cat McCarrey - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.