Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 06/01/2023 An accomplished comics artist herself, Montague offers a well-researched biography of Jackie Ormes, a pioneering Black cartoonist and journalist who turned a gimlet eye on realities facing Black Americans in the mid-twentieth century. Montague’s bold, saturated colors, stylized shapes, and crisp lines evoke the newspaper comics where Ormes made a name for herself, first as a sports journalist and later as a cartoonist, and her paragraphs nicely weave in important historical context, such as how witnessing the racism Black soldiers returning from WWII experienced inspired her to create Patty-Jo, an adorable kid who made sharp observations about the issues of the day. The account of Ormes’ work ends somewhat abruptly with her initial plans for the Patty-Jo comic, but comprehensive back matter fills in the gaps. While the text can be somewhat dense, the bright artwork and engaging subject—still uncommon among books for children—gives this solid appeal. A fine choice for artist biography collections, especially where comics artists are popular. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

Booklist - 06/15/2023 An accomplished comics artist herself, Montague offers a well-researched biography of Jackie Ormes, a pioneering Black cartoonist and journalist who turned a gimlet eye on realities facing Black Americans in the mid-twentieth century. Montague’s bold, saturated colors, stylized shapes, and crisp lines evoke the newspaper comics where Ormes made a name for herself, first as a sports journalist and later as a cartoonist, and her paragraphs nicely weave in important historical context, such as how witnessing the racism Black soldiers returning from WWII experienced inspired her to create Patty-Jo, an adorable kid who made sharp observations about the issues of the day. The account of Ormes’ work ends somewhat abruptly with her initial plans for the Patty-Jo comic, but comprehensive back matter fills in the gaps. While the text can be somewhat dense, the bright artwork and engaging subject—still uncommon among books for children—gives this solid appeal. A fine choice for artist biography collections, especially where comics artists are popular. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 04/01/2023 Gr 2–5—Using a drawing style and pacing indicative and in homage to newspaper cartoons, this is a glimpse of groundbreaking Black female American cartoonist Jackie Ormes, as told and illustrated by a groundbreaking Black female American cartoonist. The biography opens in Ormes's small town outside of Pittsburgh, her persistence in finding a newspaper job as a reporter right before high school at a Black-owned newspaper and hitting her stride drawing politically charged newspaper comics in the voice of child character Patty-Jo, for the Chicago Defender. With roughly 50–100 words per spread, the story emphasizes that through her perseverance, Ormes finds work as a comic artist and tells stories that otherwise could not be told. The book provides brief snapshots into the Black American experience of the time, with a cursory take on the Great Migration of Black Americans in Ormes's comic work and in her move into Chicago after the Great Depression. Additionally, the book also provides context for World War II and the inequalities faced by Black soldiers upon their return. Then comes six-year-old Patty-Jo. The book has Black characters in varied shades and mostly shows white characters as stylized outlines or from the back. The artwork is done using spot coloring and two-dimensional drawing with a limited color palette; the book comes with a brief biography, short author's note, and a bibliography. VERDICT A must purchase for libraries. Its overarching theme of persistence will resonate with readers.—Vi Ha - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.