Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 07/01/2019 Well-known anthologist Hopkins here focuses on make-believe play, presenting 15 possibilities for children to explore being and doing fanciful or everyday things, with contributions from Lois Lowry, Prince Redcloud, and Douglas Florian. Thematically divided into three sections, the poems feature peppy, reader-directed introductions, followed by first-person poems accompanied by illustrations of diverse children play-acting. “Wish! Be a Storybook Character” showcases fantasy figures such as pirates (“I cry argh to the ocean, / wail yarr to the sky”); “Support! Be a Person Who Helps” includes a firefighter, nurse, and pilot. “Invent! Be a Person Who’s a Maker” spotlights a chef, dancer, and video-game creator, among others. Colorful, cartoon illustrations depict the children, their activities, and the classroom objects inspiring them with subtle, sketchy background elements, like a girl wearing a hard hat and building with blocks and boxes against cityscape background, which extend the themes presented. Throughout, the collection conveys that there are many options for each child, irrespective of gender, and the encouraging, upbeat approach will likely pique interests and imaginations. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.