Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 03/01/2014 This luminous picture book offers a series of brief phrases illustrating some of the roles that water plays on earth. “Water can be a . . . Tadpole hatcher / Picture catcher / Otter feeder / Downhill speeder / Garden soaker / Valley cloaker / Thirst quencher / Kid drencher.” When the words on their own seem puzzling, the artwork usually clarifies them. For example, the illustration for “Picture catcher” shows a girl clad in a raincoat and boots peering at her reflection in a puddle, while the one for “Valley cloaker” depicts a foggy landscape. In addition, an appended section of notes explains each phrase. Created using traditional as well as digital techniques, the illustrations are richly patterned and beautifully lit. Young children will discover plenty of intriguing details to talk about in the varied scenes. Like its predecessor, A Leaf Can Be . . . (2012), this picture book explores an aspect of the natural world in a way that is imaginative but ultimately informative. A fine choice for reading aloud in the classroom or at home. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/01/2014 PreS-Gr 2—This picture book about water, written in verse, lets young readers quench their thirst for rhyme and information at the same time. The book opens with "Water is water-it's puddle, pond, sea," setting the stage for rhyming pairs that describe the many different forms that water can take, such as "valley cloaker" (fog), "bruise shrinker" (ice), and "snowman former" (snow). The text is perfect for creating mental images and showing children what the words look like. The traditional and digital media used for the illustrations create a delicate tone for the book. Each page has an ethereal beauty that brings the text to life. Readers will experience the transformational effects of water on people and the environment and will see how water is home to so many creatures. The back matter explains in greater detail what each of the rhyming pairs means and provides more content about water in general. Fans of A Leaf Can Be (Millbrook, 2012) by the same author will delight in this offering.—Nancy Jo Lambert, Ruth Borchardt Elementary, Plano, TX - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.