Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/01/2023 Gr 4–6—On a cold Minnesota day in 1914, the folks of a stopped train gather around a fire to tell stories. Inspired by their one-upmanship, an advertiser from the Red River Lumber Company shares the unbelievable origins and adventures of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. With dramatic flair, he claims this admired lumberjack was so large that nature itself shifted in his wake. His story captures his audience, as does this graphic novel with its narrative presentation and "old-time" cartoon style. Knowing that legends often upstage the truth, Van Sciver demonstrates the power of stories and wisely has characters interject at intervals to remind readers of the consequences of tall tales. But he rushes at the end to include important details about First Nations people and the invasion by the American government. While the format makes the topic engaging, those seeking more information about the history will need to look to the foreword and afterword, which recount the effects of colonization and how stories like Paul Bunyan's played a role. These provide First Nation perspectives, photographs, and information about William B. Laughead's marketing tool for American occupation. VERDICT This book uses a historical foundation to help readers reassess a myth that glorified greed. For fans of folklore and educators, it offers an opportunity for critical thinking with eye-opening results.—Rachel Forbes - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 07/23/2023 Most Americans know the story of Paul Bun­yan, but few know that the stories were in part created by an ad executive named W. B. Laughead, who used these tall tales to encourage logging and, consequently, the removal of Indigenous people and the mass deforestation of their lands. Van Sciver tells this tale by featuring Laughead on a stalled train, telling some of the more famous Bunyan tales, while a few open-minded passengers explain to him the reality and harm of the situation. While the combined cartoon and folk art styles work well to capture the giant lore of Paul Bunyan, it seems like a missed opportunity that the exposition scenes, in which Laughead is confronted with the result of his actions, focus primarily on character reactions. Pithy back matter fills in some of those gaps with some great context about the history of Indigenous people in the region and the impact of clear-cut logging, though more information about the origin of Laughead’s mythmaking would have been helpful. A mighty attempt to take on a giant topic of forgotten history. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.