Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 11/01/2019 *Starred Review* Llewellyn, an anthropomorphized white rabbit, adores collecting things to remind him of “all the wonderful things he had seen and done.” Fall leaves, heart-shaped stones, seashells—they all go into glass jars that line the shelves of his living room. When a spectacular sunset “the color of tart cherry syrup” draws Llewellyn down to the seashore, he scoops some of the light into jars, giving one to another bunny also observing the sunset. This is how he and Evelyn become best friends. Marcero works magic with prismatic watercolors, ink, and pencil, as her light-filled illustrations chronicle the young rabbits’ exploits and their appreciative wonder of the world around them. In her artwork, Marcero collects their meaningful moments in jars, setting them against a scenic backdrop, perhaps a field of snow or flowers. But then Evelyn and her family move away. Lonely for his friend, Llewellyn awakens one night to a meteor shower and decides to collect it for Evelyn. He sends a star-filled jar to her in the mail, to which she replies with a package of city lights and sounds. This joyful account of friendship will charm readers with the notion of capturing wind or a rainbow in a jar, but its deeper message of maintaining relationships over a distance will comfort those who have moved or know someone who has. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 12/01/2019 PreS-Gr 2—Marcero (My Heart Is a Compass) applies her considerable talents here to the art of collecting. Llewellyn is a young rabbit who saves treasures in jars that he places on shelves. At first, these items are fairly typical of young gatherers: leaves, shells, heart-shaped stones. It is when he arrives at the shore on a night "the sunset painted the sky the color of tart cherry syrup"—and when he meets Evelyn—that the collections become more interesting. He gives a jar with the "cherry light" to his new friend, and it "glowed through the night with the memory of that sunset." Marcero's pencil, watercolor, ink, and digital compositions display a marvelous sense of pattern within exquisite spreads. A scene with dozens of white birch trees is enlivened by hundreds of yellow and orange leaves, presented as single entities. As the seasons change, pink tulips in various shades dot a deep green field, moving closer together as they recede in the distance. Insets in a range of combinations and sequences focus on details and are sometimes shaped like jars; these show the progression of wondrous phenomena and experiences the duo share: snowball fights, firelight, ducklings, and thunderstorms. Then, Evelyn must move away. Throughout the narrative, sensitive pacing; understated but lovely language; and creative imagery combine to convey the deepening bond and the pair's way of connecting when presented with physical distance. VERDICT An enchanting examination of the pleasure reaped from cultivating imagination, friendship, and memory.—Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.