Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 03/24/2023 K-Gr 5—In this story of a family's annual Juneteenth celebration, the matriarch recounts how her grandmother, Mom Bess, told the story of how she (at six years old) and her parents welcomed freedom on the first Juneteenth in 1865. David's family is celebrating Juneteenth in Galveston, TX, with their relatives. The festivities, which include parades, speeches, food, and music, honor the day when enslaved people in Galveston finally learned of their freedom in 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. An ode to Clement C. Moore's "The Night Before Christmas," this story is written in the same meter as the well-known poem. Armand's use of rhyme and rhythm throughout the book is reminiscent of nursery rhymes, in a way that makes the history digestible for young readers. The vibrant artwork depicts David's ancestors and people in their community marching, dancing, praising, and singing as word of their newfound freedom spread. Colors are bright, warm, lively, flowy, soft, and blended. The faces have definition, the pages have texture, and the people seem to really move in each illustration. VERDICT Appropriate for elementary school libraries, and would also be an asset in a classroom library or as part of an elementary school lesson for kindergarten to fifth grade students.—Matia Edwards - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 05/01/2023 Eight-year-old David and his extended family assemble at Grandma’s house in Galveston, Texas, eager to hear the matriarch’s annual recitation of the story of Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. Her account, as told to her by her own grandmother Mom Bess, describes whispered rumors of freedom finally confirmed by a rider on horseback announcing the news from a scroll. Jubilation, celebration, and plans for a better future follow. Armand’s joyful picture book highlights this June 19th observance, now a federal holiday. In capturing the anticipation felt before this holiday, she also invokes some phrases and the meter of Clement Moore’s The Night before Christmas. Barksdale’s vibrant mixed-media artwork uses acrylic, oil, and watercolor pencils on Masonite and employs an abstract expressionist style. Lively patterns appear on clothing, textiles, and the endpapers, and, while facial features are sometimes indistinct, a sense of joy and movement pervades every spread. This makes a good read-aloud; pair with Sojourner Kincaid Rolle’s Free at Last (2022) to introduce this special day. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/24/2023 K-Gr 5—In this story of a family's annual Juneteenth celebration, the matriarch recounts how her grandmother, Mom Bess, told the story of how she (at six years old) and her parents welcomed freedom on the first Juneteenth in 1865. David's family is celebrating Juneteenth in Galveston, TX, with their relatives. The festivities, which include parades, speeches, food, and music, honor the day when enslaved people in Galveston finally learned of their freedom in 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. An ode to Clement C. Moore's "The Night Before Christmas," this story is written in the same meter as the well-known poem. Armand's use of rhyme and rhythm throughout the book is reminiscent of nursery rhymes, in a way that makes the history digestible for young readers. The vibrant artwork depicts David's ancestors and people in their community marching, dancing, praising, and singing as word of their newfound freedom spread. Colors are bright, warm, lively, flowy, soft, and blended. The faces have definition, the pages have texture, and the people seem to really move in each illustration. VERDICT Appropriate for elementary school libraries, and would also be an asset in a classroom library or as part of an elementary school lesson for kindergarten to fifth grade students.—Matia Edwards - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.