Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 04/01/2023 PreS-K—It is quarter to 8 a.m., and a young brown boy is getting ready for his last day of school. He still does not know how to tie his shoes, but he knows how to clean up his cubby and collect his art from the wall. Graduation day is most exciting, especially when thinking about starting first grade. This charming, easy-to-read story has one to four lines of text per spread, set in a big black font for children ready to engage in independent reading. The rhyming narrative has few vocabulary words and is accompanied by picture clues that connect the main character to his happy family, classmates, and home and classroom environments. Illustrations highlight the human characters, who drive the emotions of the occasion, while a contrasting palette of primary and secondary colors brightens the pictorial setting. This story features a diverse classroom with a Muslim teacher and children of different ethnicities; this detail may connect with children during storytime in the library or at home. VERDICT Kids who are beginning to read will feel the excitement of a new school adventure with this delightful easy reader.—Kathia Ibacache - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.