Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 02/01/2020 PreS-Gr 2—Singer's latest poetry collection is an earnest but ultimately bland offering, even when seasoned with Priceman's distinctive and energetic illustrations. Each poem is a recipe, even as the poems vary in structure. The accompanying illustrations often mimic handwritten recipe cards and feature prints of fruits and vegetables, but also depict children of varying skin tones and backgrounds cooking and enjoying the food. Individually the poems are mostly successful, though some feel quite forced. Reading through the book as a whole feels disjointed: a recipe for "enjoying the seasons" is followed by "a recipe for following recipes" and then "a recipe for social studies." The book's intended audience is unclear. The artwork and more than a few of the poems feel nostalgic, but this aesthetic and tone could potentially appeal more to adult readers. It's sweet, but not particularly exciting and is unlikely to garner much attention from young poetry and culinary enthusiasts. VERDICT Unfortunately, Singer's collection doesn't quite hit the mark. A potential addition for large or specialty collections, but generally it's safe to skip this one.—Taylor Worley, Springfield Public Library, OR - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 03/01/2020 Children’s poet Singer and Caldecott Honor–winning artist Priceman have cooked up an original picture book that resembles both a slim volume of poetry and that stash of recipe cards Grandma might have kept in the kitchen. The collection has plenty of cooking-related recipe-poems, about how to measure ingredients or how one should cook only when in a good mood. But while food is in the forefront of each poem, the topics quickly become philosophical—even self-referential. There’s a recipe for a good recipe, a recipe for following recipes, and a recipe for a poem. There’s also a dash of self-help: How can one live better through food? Take the “Recipe for Originality”: “To be unique, there’s no quick fix: / Make your cakes from scratch.” The bright, whimsical artwork is full of movement, reminiscent of the cooking process itself as one tosses and mixes ingredients. Young readers will love the fun and challenging words that poetry can showcase—celeriac, anyone? And they’ll relate to the joy that food can bring, which emanates from each page. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.