Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 03/01/2020 A bird familiar to many children, the seagull receives well-deserved attention in this attractive picture book. Written in short, rhyming verses, the text touches on many aspects of seagulls’ lives, such as feeding, preening, nesting, and flight. Sayre also refers to the wide variety of locales where gulls thrive, from seashores to inland farms and garbage dumps. The book begins and ends with the verse, “Seagulls swerve. / Seagulls soar. / Yack! Yack! Yack! / from ship to shore.” On broad, double-page spreads, the accomplished digital artwork captures the birds in action within different settings. Sometimes viewed from an aerial perspective, they swerve and soar above a lighthouse in one scene, while another shows them foraging at a garbage dump, and a third illustration depicts a mated pair with two chicks. If the text raises any questions, the answers can probably be found in the detailed, informative back matter, where Sayre discusses the birds’ intelligence, adaptability, foods, names, habits, habitats, and survival skills. An informative picture book for reading aloud to kids intrigued by gulls. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 05/01/2020 PreS-Gr 1—In this engaging and informative work, readers learn about the diversity of seagulls. Habitats vary from ocean shores to the desert. In fact, the seagull isn't just one type of bird, but rather a term to describe many species of birds. The colorful artwork conveys the mood perfectly. "Seagulls paddle, seagulls float. They skim a wake. They board a boat." The illustration shows one seagull on a big wave, which appears to be moving, behind a large boat. More than a dozen seagulls soar near the boat. This title can be used in storytime for preschoolers or in the classroom with older students. VERDICT Sayre and Bogdanska collaborate to magically create a story with lyrical text, stellar illustrations, and thought-provoking back matter. Readers will never look at seagulls the same way again.—Robin Sofge, Prince William Public Library System, VA - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.