Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/01/2021 Flowers are everywhere, explains author and illustrator Ignotofsky (Women in Science, 2016), who shows that they are found as part of fruit-bearing plants, in fancy gardens, and elsewhere, and come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. What readers might be less aware of are answers to the questions posed next: How do flowers grow and bloom on plants, and what’s inside them? The spreads that follow show how flowers work and impart the abundance of nature, as the pages overflow with life. Ignotofsky illustrates in bold shapes and colors with stylized but still recognizable detail, labeling not only flowers and their parts but elements of the ecosystems that both support flowers and that thrive off them. Related ideas, such as photosynthesis, pollination, and the movement of seeds are simply but effectively explained. The final pages make flowers personal to the reader, showing children enjoying flowers outdoors and reminding them of the importance of a happy earth. There’s an abundance of detail in this attractive first work in the “What’s Inside” series, but it’s never overwhelming, making the book ideal for early childhood collections. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.