Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 07/22/2022 Gr 2–4—Dancers. Gymnasts. Politicians. Inventors. Actors. Rock stars. These are just a few of the Asian Americans readers meet in Yang's clear and concise commemoration of 200 years of accomplishments and contributions. Every spread features a sentence or two in the first-person plural that explains a featured person's achievements, illustrated by a different illustrator (credited to the side of each picture) and a one-sentence biography. Scene by scene, the spreads are varied, yet build to a cohesive whole. All of the art is striking. Shreya Gupta's lines flow to match the musical output of Yo-Yo Ma, and H.E.R. Sujean Rim's pastel watercolors complement the fashions of Vera Wang and the elegant ballet of Lia Cirio. Kitkat Pecson's bold colors celebrate author Jenny Han and activist Amanda Nguyen. Also depicted are Kamala Harris, Sandra Oh, and Peter Tsai, inventor of the N95 mask. Text and art combine to make this a perfect read-aloud book. For those interested in diving deeper, back matter includes expanded biographies of all featured subjects. Readers will learn about a variety of incredible figures, and will surely want to know more. VERDICT A must-have book for all collections, offering an array of personalities and contributors under Yang's thoughtful gaze.—Chance Lee Joyner - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 05/01/2022 *Starred Review* This sure-to-inspire offering by best-seller Yang features a parade of Asian American changemakers throughout the decades, as well as a history lesson on relatively little-known yet crucial contributions of Asians to the U.S. In a sweeping manner, Yang’s story covers everything from the Chinese immigrants who helped build the first transcontinental railroads and the discrimination they faced to the superstars in succeeding generations, making advancements in everything from sports to politics and fashion. There are the ultrafamous like Vice President Kamala Harris and basketball great Jeremy Lin, but readers also get to know the likes of skyscraper architect I. M. Pei, astronaut Franklin Chang-Díaz, and Peter Tsai, inventor of the N95 mask. Seeing all the accomplishments compiled in one place, in so many fields, gives the sense that history was—and is still being—made. The book itself is something of a parade of achievement, as each illustration is done by a different Asian American artist. The pages are colorful and action packed as well as poignant; there are images, for example, of the government’s incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. With the recent rise of violence toward Asian Americans, this book and others like it are an antidote—and can show readers how Asian Americans helped make the U.S. great. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.