Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2022 PreS-Gr 1—Like tissue paper held up to a sunny window, Portis's pictures have the glow of stained glass, offering texture and inviting readers to come a little closer to see what she has created. A seed grows, but on the title page that seed is still in the bird's beak. It falls, settles into the soil, and sun and rain are simply present, part of the process. Soil, sun, water, air, and the seed takes root, grows tall, forms a bud, blossoms into more seeds, which feed more birds, and the cycle is complete. This approach to nature requires no embellishment, no anthropomorphizing, no cheerleading to lure in young eyes. Four- to five-word sentences on the left set off every gemlike illustration on the right, breaking format only when the book needs to be turned sideways so that the full glory of the sunflower's height can be revealed. The back matter includes charming layouts of the parts of the seed and root, what the seed needs to sprout, and the life cycle of the sunflower plant. Complicated scientific principles are rendered simply and gracefully in scenes that seem to deliver a dose of Vitamin D. VERDICT As with all of Portis's books, natural science is served sunny-side up, without a word out of place, in this essential guide.—Kimberly Olson Fakih - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2022 Using minimal text and simple, stylized illustrations, Portis (Hey, Water, 2019) details the life cycle of a sunflower from sprouting and growth to blooming and seed formation to seed dispersal and the sprouting of the next generation. “A seed falls / and settles into the soil / and the sun shines / and the rain comes down / and the seed sprouts.” The often-­lyrical text (actually one long sentence) makes use of large fonts to emphasize key terms: seed, soil, sun, rain, sprouts, and so on. One spread includes a vertical gatefold that shows a mature sunflower atop this very tall plant. Bright colors appear throughout—in particular, blue skies, green leaves, and the striking yellow bloom. Minimalist backgrounds help to focus reader attention on the plant itself, and several small blue birds appear periodically, aiding in seed dispersal and adding interest to these attractive illustrations. Back matter includes additional sunflower facts, a life-cycle chart, and further resources. An appealing addition to the STEM shelf and a useful supplement to primary science lessons. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.