Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2022 PreS-Gr 1—The story starts with the very beginning stages of the life cycle of a frog. The main critter asks, "Who am I? Am I a frog?" A second voice responds, "Not yet. But soon." Rockwell then follows the critter's progression, beginning with an egg, then a tadpole, then a frog with a long tail, and finally, fully developed. On the last page, that frog snatches a dragonfly out of the air. Between each stage of the frog's development, readers learn that food, rest, learning how to swim, and growing stronger are all integral steps in the process. Illustrations contain all the colors one would see in nature; specifically, beautiful shades of blue and green that are pleasing to the eye. These illustrations also pair perfectly with the accompanying text, as they help keep readers engaged and show what each stage looks like. A diagram at the end displays the eight stages of development, reinforcing the concepts from the previous pages. VERDICT Written with short, concise sentences that are easy to understand for the earliest readers, this will be welcome as a classroom read-aloud to coincide with a biology unit.—Kerra Mazzariello - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2022 *Starred Review* A tadpole asks, “Am I a frog?” “Not yet. But soon,” comes the reply and an explanation that the tadpole’s life began in an egg that hatched. Then the tadpole ate and grew. Like a fish, it now has gills for breathing and a tail for swimming. “Am I a fish?” asks the tadpole. No, but as the tadpole gets bigger, its front and back legs will grow, while its tail shortens and disappears. The changes are evident in the illustrations. “Now am I a frog?” “Not yet. But soon.” Time passes and the froglet grows, until one day, sitting on a lily pad, it suddenly jumps and catches a dragonfly with its tongue. “Now you are a frog.” The final double-page spread shows eight stages of a frog’s life cycle. Printed in large type for beginning readers, the simply written, informative text represents a conversation with a tadpole who’s looking forward to growing up. His partner in conversation appears to be a nearby snail who’s easy to spot in nearly every illustration. Created with watercolors and digital tools, the pleasing artwork helps viewers observe the basic stages of a frog’s development. An inviting nonfiction book, beautifully designed for beginning readers and accessible to younger children as well. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.