Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 05/24/2024 PreS-Gr 1—With its steady flow of rhythmic words and the vibrant energy of dancing figures on warm sand, this musical story's joyful beat will prove impossible for young readers to resist during a read-aloud session. Under a stunning bright blue sky at the ocean's edge, a young girl watches with growing delight and wonder as friendly strangers arrive one-by-one with different percussion instruments in hand, asking to join a solo conga player on the shore. With every new arrival, the air becomes filled with curvy lines of onomatopoeic words that express layers of sound, while the story's rhyme introduces the names of the instruments in short, effective phrases. The diverse characters who join the impromptu jam session greet the conga player in distinctive ways—a simple yet enchanting way to construct the story pattern and quickly capture the personalities of the musicians, even as readers anticipate the introduction of a new instrument. A particular strength of this story lies in the irresistible communal moments depicted through the pure delight expressed on the musicians' faces and snappy movements of the expanding gathering of figures, particularly when the girl dances her way into the middle of the sound. Observing the harmonious combination of a bright color scheme and playfully wavy lines found in the hair, raised arms, and flowing cloth of the musicians, readers will wish to hear and join the performance themselves. VERDICT A story about a delightfully vibrant party of musical harmony, one that could pair well with a hands-on introduction to the different musical instruments portrayed in the story in interactive or musical read-aloud sessions.—Rachel Mulligan - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.