Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 09/30/2024 Young narrator Janie has long been fascinated by owls: "Perfectly stout. Large, round eyes. Silent, knowing faces. Birds of the night." In drawings filled with carefully hatched detail, Caldecott Medalist Cordell draws Janie busy on the floor, making drawing after drawing of owls; other vignettes show the child dressed in an owl costume and reading about the topic. But Janie has never seen a real owl. Not once. This year, though, teacher Mr. Koji, "a birder even when he was my age," is also interested in avian life. "To see an owl," he tells the class, "is magic." When Janie brings in "stacks and stacks of owl drawings," an owl journal, and a map, Mr. Koji shares a tip: "I found a pair of great horned owls roosting in this section of pine trees. They are very well hidden and very hard to find." Taut, suspense-heightening sentences combine with deliberate pacing as well as tender observations of earnest efforts and mentorship. Janie’s early failures set the stage for a gratifying conclusion in this introduction to the magic of respectfully spotting creatures "that do not want to be seen." Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4-8. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary. (Jan.) - Copyright 2024

School Library Journal - 02/01/2025 PreS-Gr 2—Janie is on a mission to see an owl. She is constantly on the lookout with her mother by her side, as they walk through cemeteries, on wooden trails, and over sandy beaches, no matter the weather or what time of day or night, much to her mother's chagrin. Janie, a young girl of color, shares an affinity for birding with her teacher, Mr. Koji. She shows him all of her drawings, and as he looks over her owl maps, he tells her to try walking through the woods again. Janie and her mother go out that night in the snow, and just when hope seems to be lost, there is—Magic. Janie's wonder comes across easily in the illustrations, which are done in Cordell's magnificently detailed watercolor and pen-and-ink scenes. The illustrations add to the story, showing Janie's notes on owls in her journal and her own hand-drawn maps. The text is tender and shows the reverence Janie has for owls and the patience she has; the girl shows no frustration in her journey, but in its place, she is steadfast. VERDICT A perfectly lovely picture book for the owl obsessed.—Kerri L. Williams - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.