Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2015 K-Gr 2—A monarch caterpillar wakes inside a tiny egg in a "country up north." Munching on milkweed, she grows, transforms into a butterfly with wings "like stained glass," and takes off on the southward wind. Employing sparse but expressive text, Shingu follows a group of monarchs making their way over a waterfall and through a big city and a village before arriving in the southern forest to mate and begin the return journey. A successful sculptor and installation artist with a deep interest in the natural world, Shingu provides lush, bold illustrations; the butterflies' wing markings stand out brilliantly against gray, vivid green, and summer sky blue backgrounds. A portrayal of seven monarchs resting under shady leaves in a rainstorm evokes the landscape settings of 19th-century woodblock artists. On another page, eight butterflies are rendered in a range of sizes according to perspective; beneath them simple strokes in a range of blues suggest a lake in summer, at once dynamic and languorous. One error mars the work. On one spread, the caterpillar "wraps a cocoon around herself," rather than a chrysalis; however, cocoons are produced by moths. The volume concludes with a section called "More About Monarch Butterflies," which describes the monarch's astonishing migration from Canada to Mexico. VERDICT A brief but useful introduction to butterfly ecology, this title is recommended for students with interest in science or art.—Bob Hassett, Luther Jackson Middle School, Falls Church, VA - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 10/15/2015 This beautiful saga documents monarch butterfly migration, beginning in North America, sweeping across the U.S., and ending in Mexico, flocking entire forests with their delicate bodies before heading back north again. Simple, declarative sentences, describing how tiny eggs produce caterpillars that eventually spin cocoons and transform into brilliant butterflies, which then fly thousands of miles, accompany the vivid, richly colored paintings. As the monarchs start their grueling migration, vibrant, double-page spreads spill across pages. Monarchs are shown flitting through meadows, soaring over frothy green waterfalls and muted gray cityscapes, hiding under leaves on rainy days, and transforming dark woods with their sunny presence. Their bright, black-and-orange markings pop against backgrounds, which helps emphasize how thrilling the migration can be. This celebration of the beauty, wonder, and resilience of monarchs would pair well with Elizabeth Wallace’s Fly, Monarch, Fly! (2008) and Mary Alice Monroe’s A Butterfly Called Hope (2013), which are aimed at the same age group and contain more general facts. An author’s note offers additional information about the butterflies’ mysterious journey. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.