Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 11/15/2019 *Starred Review* In this biographical picture book, Reverend Charles Tindley (1851–1933) tells his life story in an unassuming voice. Born poor, Black, and free in Maryland, he worked in the fields alongside enslaved people, singing chants and spirituals with them. A self-taught reader as a boy, he attended church, where he proudly read Bible passages aloud. Later, he moved to Philadelphia, married, and worked two jobs while attending night school. Called to preach, he became a minister and wrote many hymns. His small congregation grew to 15,000, and Tindley became known as the “people’s pastor.” In Weatherford’s rhymed verses, he recalls his hard times, his dreams, and how his hardships and the spirituals that had so moved him were later woven into his hymns. Phrases from those spirituals and hymns appear, italicized, within the simply written, evocative text. In expressive watercolor-and-collage artwork, Collier, who grew up near Tindley’s birthplace, transports viewers to the farm fields of the man’s childhood and the churches he knew throughout his life. The illustrations vary, from vivid portrayals of individuals to impressive landscapes to scenes with a soaring sense of music. This picture book conveys that Tindley lived his life with purpose and left a lasting legacy of faith expressed through gospel music. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 01/01/2020 Gr 2–6—Weatherford traces Charles Tindley's life (1851–1933), from his impoverished childhood to his move North as part of the Great Migration to his legacy as an influential minister and gospel music writer. The pastor is best known for "I'll Overcome Some Day," which inspired the historic protest anthem "We Shall Overcome." Tindley, born in 1851, was the son of an enslaved father and a free mother who died when Tindley was young. Hearing spirituals in the work fields motivated Tindley to learn how to read the Bible. The first-person narrative highlights his appetite for education and his unwavering faith. The rhyming text uses a hymn-like structure. The watercolor and collage illustrations, peppered with images of Tindley's sheet music, provide a vibrant and meaningful backdrop for the story of the composer's life, presented as "a sermon inside a song." The rhyming device causes some of the text to be less straightforward than it could be, using expressions like "donned the robe" to describe Tindley becoming a pastor. Young readers may need support to comprehend some of the more nuanced vocabulary terms. However, this stylistic choice is effective as it conveys the importance of lyrics in Tindley's life and ministry. VERDICT This beautiful volume will make an excellent addition to biography collections and broaden available resources for black history studies in elementary and middle school classrooms.—Kelly Jahng, South Park Elementary School, IL - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.