Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 12/01/2020 K-Gr 2—This picture book spotlights one of America's most famous pop artists. From his earliest years, Keith Haring (1958–1990) was an artist. Haring, who grew up in small-town Pennsylvania, surrounded himself with art. He drew constantly and anywhere he could. When Haring was 20, he moved to New York City and attended the School of Visual Arts. Haring believed that art was for everyone; he shared his passion for beauty and joy on the streets, in museums, and across the world. He didn't limit his artistic expression to traditional mediums; he drew on the walls of the subway stations with chalk. In 1986, he opened a store in the Manhattan neighborhood of SoHo and called it the Pop Shop. His art spoke to social issues such as racism and drug abuse and championed love and unity. He even painted a mural on the Berlin Wall in 1986. Haring was only 31 when he passed away, but his accomplishments made a lasting impact. Negley's illustrations capture the kinetic energy of Haring's work while carrying readers from one phase of his life to the next. The text is simple but lovely, punctuated by Haring's personal philosophy: Art is life; life is art. An author's note offers further understanding of this icon's creative legacy and life. Resources include one list for children and one for adults. VERDICT An eye-catching addition to school and public library art sections.—Savannah Kitchens, Parnell Memorial Lib., Montevallo, AL - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 12/15/2020 Patterned collage illustrations with an emphasis on geometric shapes create the backdrop for this picture-book biography of pop and street artist Keith Haring. Beginning with a young Haring, who knew he wanted to be an artist when he grew up, the descriptive text traces his early influences and the emergence of his own style through New York City’s subway graffiti, professional paintings and sculptures around the world, and his Pop Shop store. Negley highlights Haring’s distinctive iconography as the artist’s imagination flowing across the page and through representations of his actual artwork. Brown complements the energetic artwork with active verbs in bold text and the repetitive refrain, “Art is life. Life is art,” which sums up Haring’s personal philosophy for making art accessible. She does not mention the artist’s sexual orientation and simply states that he died in 1990, when he was just 31 years old. An author’s note, however, provides further details, including more of Haring’s influences and friendships, his work with children, and his AIDS diagnosis. A joyful tribute to an enduring artist. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.