Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/01/2020 *Starred Review* Poi is made from kalo and served at an ‘ohana’s lu?au. For cultural insiders, this is an immediately recognizable affirmation of a beloved tradition, but the rest of us will need to follow along, paying close attention to words and images as the mystery unravels one detail at a time and we learn what each of those words means. The importance of this native Hawaiian tradition is revealed through Loomis’ and Pak’s textual and visual re-creations. The wind, the rain, the sun, the “land that has never been sold,” and the wise old hands that work the land show that family is one of many interconnected parts—plant, planet, human, the elements—each as important as the other. Pak’s lovely, stylized watercolors bring readers close enough to see droplets on the roots of the kalo and then zoom out to see the whole sun-kissed island. Loomis writes in a gentle rhyme that undulates like the elements she describes so that readers will soon be murmuring along in sync. Back matter explains the historical and cultural significance of kalo and poi. The author notes that food connects people, and this book does an admirable job of honoring the culture without cliché. This can be paired thematically with Kevin Noble Maillard and Juana Martinez-Neal’s Fry Bread (2019). - Copyright 2020 Booklist.