Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/01/2021 Baby-ToddlerWith brown babies and their twinkling eyes burrowed into blankets, nesting amid the love that infuses each page, this book will have most lapsitters feeling as if they are right there, nesting, too. In this treasury of five poems that will be released as five separate board books (the first, Count to Love, is already out), the text is lilting and perfect, "Brown baby, born bright./ Greet the world. Spread your light./ Sparkling eyes blink hello./ Bright brown baby, you will GO!" In happy domestic scenes, there are parents, also brown, connecting with their children; babies will want to lean in for the cadence of the language and bright colors, while toddlers will want to repeat the lines out loud with whomever is sharing this book. The universality of the big and small world of the baby—everything is so new, but the sensation of being coddled is soothingly familiar—makes this a book for all families to share and savor. VERDICT For every collection, this treasury invites snuggling.—Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 12/01/2021 In this treasury of five simple short stories, meant for the youngest listeners, the author provides gentle instructions for caregivers—in a kind tone that will help inexperienced adults gain confidence—on how to share the book and ways to talk about elements of the text. Brightly colored, energetic illustrations, rendered in gouache, acrylic, and India ink, depict Black and brown family members in various combinations (parents and child, woman with a baby, man with a daughter). Warmth flows from every page, furthering the message that “beauty begins with you.” The brief stories, which could be viewed as rhythmic poems, are paired with inspiring introductions, such as poems originating with Langston Hughes or ancient Sanskrit, as well as quotations from Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, and Michelle Obama. The story titles, “Bright Brown Baby,” “Count to Love,” “Peek-a-You,” “Baby Boy, You Are a Star,” and “Hey, Baby Girl!” leave no doubt about the positive tone of the collection. Affirming and inviting, this book will be well used in baby storytimes and family read-alongs. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.