Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 01/01/2023 *Starred Review* For fans of Don Tate’s It Jes’ Happened (2012) and Alison Goldberg’s Bottle Tops (2022) comes a presentation of another influential Black outsider artist, Elijah Pierce. Unlike a traditional biography, this picture book introduces biographical elements through an imagined encounter between a fictional Black boy and Mr. Pierce at a barbershop (Pierce was a notable barber before his recognition as an artist). As the boy—himself a budding artist—gets a trim, Mr. Pierce recounts his path as a wood carver. After receiving a pocketknife from his formerly enslaved father and learning to carve from his uncle, Mr. Pierce never stopped shaping wood. While pointing out specific wood carvings around the shop, he tells the stories behind them. Colorful illustrations, at times reminiscent of woodcuts, incorporate photographic images of the folk artist’s real carvings. Interspersed action words (e.g., “COMB / SNIP” and “CHIP / GOUGE”) also accentuate Pierce’s artistic process. Extensive back matter includes a description of the Corcoran Gallery’s groundbreaking Black folk art exhibit, which finally recognized Pierce in the art community; an author’s note with more details on Pierce’s life and a clear explanation of which parts of the book are fictionalized; and a thumbnail gallery of works featured in the book. Thoughtful and enlightening. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.