Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/01/2019 “How do you feel?” asks the narrator in the opening scene, where 16 children play at the park. Each of the next 10 double-page spreads features a close-up of a child’s face, along with a question, such as “Do you feel scared?” On the facing page, an illustration shows what brought on that emotion: the scared boy is running from the swing set where a spider dangles from its silk. The final spread shows the children playing in small groups, and the book ends with 10 labeled portraits reviewing the emotions. At first glance, the book simply gives viewers opportunities to identify feelings based on facial expressions and visual clues. But this picture book also lends itself to thought, logic, and deduction. When kids notice the unfolding narrative in each illustration, many will flip back to the opening scene to relate events within the two. The short text and lucid acrylic paintings in this open-ended picture book invite exploration of the visual narratives along with discussion of emotions. Thoughtfully designed, deceptively simple, and clearly useful. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.