Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 08/01/2019 Mama has “swish-swush” shoes for relaxing times, “zip-zup” shoes for outdoor fun, and “stomp-stamp” shoes when it’s snowy. Little girl Perry likes the sounds of all of Mama’s shoes and enjoys the different activities they represent. When Mama puts on a new pair of shoes, however—high heels that “click-clack”—it means that she’s going to work, and Perry is not happy. It’s a clever approach to the common experience of separation anxiety. Mama’s new job is unnamed—her workplace attire would be appropriate in many situations—allowing a wide variety of young children to relate. Brantley-Newton’s charcoal pencil drawings, digitally colored and collaged with handmade, vintage, and scrapbook paper, produce warm, vibrant images that keep the story upbeat. While Mama works, Perry stays with brown-skinned Nan, with whom she gradually learns to have fun, but she’s even happier when she hears the fast click-clack announcing Mama’s return. Best of all is when Perry and Mama are back home together and the shoes come off. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.