Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 12/01/2023 K-Gr 2—A fun addition to the "Step into Reading" series that is packed full with lots of details and facts about Chinese New Year. Grace's family is getting ready for the holiday, which celebrates the beginning of spring. Grace wants to know all about her family's traditions, including sweeping away bad luck, creating good luck decorations, and putting the color red everywhere. Readers will love learning about the Lion Dance and the creature Nian, who is scared of red, and seeing all of the delicious food made for the celebration, including spring rolls for wealth and apples for peace. The story is told in short, simple sentences, and while some emergent readers might struggle with unfamiliar words, such as "mythical" and "invented," detailed illustrations will aid any comprehension struggles, as Huang creates a vibrant sense of celebration and history within her art. VERDICT Young readers will enjoy this emerging reader about Chinese New Year. Purchase for early reader collections.—Amanda Chacon - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.