Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 11/01/2018 PreS-Gr 1—Another must-have seasonal picture book created through the amazing collaboration of Henkes and Dronzek. Here they describe winter and its many delights, such as its natural beauty, and the opportunity for people to ice skate and sled down pillowy hills. The cold and ice also present challenges, like dressing in layers full of snaps and buttons, scarves and hats. It can be quiet and peaceful yet it can be loud and fierce. It is white yet is often dark. Winter lasts a while, but peels away to reveal the beauty of spring. The text is smooth and uncomplicated yet interesting and engaging. The descriptive word choice is able to set the scene perfectly with so few words, and the soft illustrations match and enrich the text seamlessly. The acrylic paintings not only portray the wonder and beauty of a large snowfall but they also evoke a feeling of warmth and peaceful comfort. The diverse array of animals in preparation will entertain readers and leave them curious to the very end of the story. VERDICT Bundle up for this wonderful wintry tale of all of the highs and lows that the season has to offer.—Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 11/01/2018 *Starred Review* Henkes and Dronzek return with this third seasonal tribute—now for the cold time of year. Gorgeous blue-and-white endpapers dotted with snowy mittens, done in full-color acrylics, precede a lively double-page spread showing families skating, building a snowman, and sledding, while animals frolic in the snow. As snow falls from the sky, a red-coated child waves to friends in front of his icicle-roofed house, while his little brown dog peers out the window. Snowflakes softly cover a great horned owl, snuggling birds, and nesting rabbits. An appealing series of pictures shows the boy donning boots with zippers, vests with zippers, and jackets with zippers, wryly underscored by humorous text: “It can take a long time to get ready for winter.” The “wind howls in every language,” and winter’s hues are white, gray, and “blue, blue, deep blue.” The gentle repetitions continue as winter stays and stays and stays, until it finally shrinks away and slips around the corner into a gorgeous, green spring. Here again, in a luscious green-and-pink full-color spread, families play in the same space, but boats float on the melted pond, kites fly, and children scoot and stroll and play, followed by yellow endpapers depicting spring flowers. The large format, language, and pictures merge in a just-right read-aloud for fans of winter’s charms. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.