Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 01/01/2021 K-Gr 4—The perfect pandemic book is here. In illustrations that dynamically emulate a (aesthetically attuned, highly skilled) child's drawing, a text with the lilt of a hop, skip, and a jump sets up expectations and neatly subverts them. On the other side of a screen, shown as a laptop on a child's legs and setting up an expectation of a game or perhaps streaming, is a classic grid that now has come to mean Zoom! Outside a window where one child stands, looking, is a parade of people, safely distanced and in masks, coping with a new version of real life. Chalk drawings declare that "Black Lives Matter" and "Stay Safe," as well as "Thank You Heroes." To children, it will be a relief to see their current lives in these pages; for adults, it's hope for a new normal. On the other side of sorrow, there are hugs, and on the other side of today, there is tomorrow. VERDICT The book we need, the message we deserve.—Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 02/01/2021 *Starred Review* With vibrant, expressive illustrations and concise, contemplative prose, this picture book highlights aspects of what kids may be feeling or experiencing during pandemic lockdowns, all with a supportive, engaging approach. Focusing on a young girl and boy—individually, with their families, and with each other—a variety of scenarios begin with the refrain “On the other side of . . .” to suggest more positive things to come. “On the other side of the screen,” for instance, shows the girl looking at a laptop in her room, followed by “there is a school,” depicting a Zoom-like mosaic of classmates’ welcoming faces. The story concludes on an upbeat note as children walk together toward school (“On the other side of today . . . there is tomorrow”). Brightly hued colored-pencil art incorporates sweet touches, particularly the rainbow motif, which appears in the palette, in sidewalk-chalk drawings, and in the sky after rain—a nice reinforcement of being connected, whether near or far. Though COVID-19 isn’t specifically named, and some background details, such as masking and Black Lives Matter and Stay Safe signs, may need explaining for younger ones, these are good opportunities for discussion. On the whole, the blend of reassurances and optimism, in text and art, will likely resonate and be appreciated on multiple levels by children and adults. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.