Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/01/2014 Gr 3 Up—In this digital age, actual photographs are quickly becoming the forgotten flotsam of flea markets. So many people and memories have been lost to the ages, and all that remains are countless discarded anonymous photos. It is this common and mysterious source material that Radunsky and Raschka drew upon to create this beautifully produced picture book. Radunsky, like so many vernacular photography collectors today, has spent hours sifting through bins of photos at flea markets and antique shops, saving snapshots, cabinet cards, and cartes de visite from obscurity. He has selected favorite images of children from his personal collection, and Raschka has assigned each child an alliterative name and peculiar personality by penning poetic captions based on what is depicted in the photo. The photos start with Awkward Agnes Alexandra and continue through Jazzy Zelda Zip and feature slight smiles, clasped hands, cryptic countenances, and photographic props that inform the playful rhymes, taking readers on an alphabetical journey that brings new discovery to these lost and forgotten children. The book's design, with large reproductions graced with photography studio stamps from around the world, reinforces and confirms the notion that regardless if readers grew up in Brooklyn, Boston, Budapest, or Berlin, they have all, at one time or another, had to dress up in their Sunday best and pose for photographs. This work speaks directly to descriptive observation and creativity, which can serve as a jumping-off point for programming and educational opportunities for teachers and librarians.—Billy Parrott, New York Public Library - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 10/15/2014 Raschka and Radunsky have collaborated to create an ingenious alphabet book with a hook: it’s illustrated with antique photos of children from around the world—kids who would, Radunsky opines in an appended essay, be the great-great-great-grandparents of today’s students. Accompanying the photographs are Raschka’s antic, rhyming verses, the first line of each containing only words beginning with the illustrated letter. Thus, F is “Fabulous Freddie Fritz,” who “Feels frankly foolish / Though his sailor suit fits.” On the facing page is the photo of a young boy dressed, yes, in a sailor suit. Then there’s Little Lucian Leroy, who “Likes licorice, although lollipops are his / Real joy.” The facing photo shows a tot elaborately dressed in full formal wear, including a top hat. The photos, which come from Radunsky’s private collection, are wonderfully evocative, inviting viewers to imagine the real lives of those depicted. The book is, thus, not only an opportunity to learn one’s ABCs but also to indulge in an exercise in imagination. No small feat! - Copyright 2014 Booklist.