Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 12/01/2022 PreS-Gr 3—Chloe, her smaller brother, and her parents prepare for the annual Lunar New Year celebration. There're cleaning, new shoes, and an emphasis on blending Taiwanese classics like good-luck fish, turnip cake, and sticky fortune cakes with American apple pie. Red envelopes and a family reunion—including an uncle with red hair and beard—are also key parts of the festival. Virtues of helping, sharing, and respecting tradition subtly appear. There are many references to a beloved grandmother (A-má), prominent in the endpaper family photos, for whom the hot pot is made and who is expected at the reunion. In a poignant surprise, A-má is present, but only in cherished family memories and the photo honored on the family altar. The soft, simple but realistic watercolors show some settings, but often focus on the characters, who have sweet expressions and Western dress. Dispensing with the external drama of the dragon, parade, or noisy firecrackers, this warm book depicts family as central. Back matter includes an author's note and a recipe for fortune cake. VERDICT LaMotte's success with Measuring Up looks likely to extend to younger readers here.—Patricia D. Lothrop - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 12/01/2022 This inviting picture book introduces children to Lunar New Year as celebrated in a Taiwanese American household. A young girl named Chloe guides Noah, her little brother, through the preparations. They help their parents fix traditional and new favorite foods for the holiday dinner. As the day progresses from discarding worn-out shoes to setting the table for a family reunion feast, several references are made to A-má, the children’s grandmother. Their aunt and uncle arrive for the evening’s festivities. After dinner, Noah watches as Chloe adds a slice of pie to an area with a framed photo, an incense stick, and mementos, saying, “Happy reunion dinner, A-má.” The family gathers to play a board game together. References to A-má are brief and left to the reader for interpretation. The author’s note refers to Lunar New Year as “the most important holiday of the year in many Asian countries,” before focusing on Taiwanese celebrations. Created with watercolor, colored pencil, and digital media, the artwork reflects the cordial tone of the narrative in depicting Chloe’s happy family gathering. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.