Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 12/01/2019 *Starred Review* This uplifting picture book introduces John Glenn as a small-town boy with a passion for flying and a patriotic young man who was a fighter pilot during WWII, married his childhood sweetheart, and started a family. His postwar career as a test pilot led to his calling as an astronaut. During his memorable flight aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft in 1962, he became the first American to orbit the Earth. And in 1998, while serving as a U.S. senator, he joined the crew of the Discovery space shuttle and became the oldest person to fly in space. Though every biographer struggles with what to include, the challenge is acute when writing a picture book. Krull focuses on the essentials, includes evocative details, and succeeds in conveying Glenn’s personality, his passions, and his values as well as the achievements that made him famous. A little longer than most picture-book texts, particularly in the section detailing the Friendship 7 mission, the writing is concise yet evocative, and it uses quotes from Glenn effectively. From small, intimate portraits to striking double-page images conveying the strangeness and otherworldly beauty of spaceflight, Quarello’s oil paintings transport viewers back in time while offering a different perspective. A beautiful picture-book biography. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 01/01/2020 Gr 1–5—Krull's picture book biography is a patriotic tribute to an American hero. John Glenn's passion for planes and flying is made abundantly clear, starting with his days as a boy in small-town Ohio, to his time as a fighter pilot during World War II, followed by his career as a test pilot for the military, and finally as an astronaut. The extensive text includes many details that will appeal to children, like the rigorous testing and training that Glenn endured in order to earn a place in Project Mercury, NASA's official human spaceflight program. The text and illustrations highlighting Glenn's orbit are breathtaking and showcase a little bit of Earth's geography as viewed from space. Krull consistently emphasizes the importance of family to Glenn; many of the drawings exemplify the love and support that helped Glenn chase his dreams. Quarello beautifully depicts Glenn in flight—both in planes and rocket ships. The author's note provides additional information about Glenn's life, including his service in the U.S. Senate from 1974 to 1999. Back matter features a time line and a bibliography. VERDICT A highly recommended purchase that will have wide appeal for young readers and would be useful in the classroom to teach a variety of lessons.—Theresa Muraski, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Library - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.