Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 02/01/2018 PreS-Gr 1—A young girl in a penguin costume sets off to pick out some birthday hats and gets a little carried away. Harriet lives in the big city with her two dads. She absolutely loves costumes and wears them whenever she can, not just to costume parties or for Halloween. On the day of her birthday party, Harriet puts on her special errand-running Penguin costume, and she and her dads head to the store to pick up party supplies. But when she encounters a group of real penguins Harriet gets a little carried away, and before she realizes her mistake she's on a hot air balloon heading to Antarctica. Harriet is determined to get home for her party, and after a few failed escape attempts she does find her way back to her dads in time to pick out party hats. The language is silly and sweet, and the digital illustrations are filled with tiny details and soothing pastels. Harriet's numerous costumes are cute, and the pages are populated by a diverse group of children and adults. VERDICT Children will enjoy this clever and affectionate tale with an exuberant young protagonist. Probably best enjoyed one-on-one as readers will love watching Harriet bring magic and imagination to the world around her.—Laken Hottle, Providence Community Library - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 02/15/2018 For Harriet, brown-skinned and endearingly freckled, costumes are an everyday affair, so it comes as no surprise to her dads when she puts on a penguin outfit and bow tie for their shopping trip. This birthday-party supply run becomes quite the adventure when Harriet wanders into the store’s freezer section and finds a large group of penguins. Swept up in the waddling black-and-white mass, Harriet gleefully follows the penguins through the city to a field, where several candy-striped hot-air balloons wait. She joins some penguins in a basket but isn’t far into the Antarctic journey when she realizes she’d rather be back at the store with her dads. And so the adventure home begins. Sima’s (Not Quite Narwhal, 2017) soft Photoshop illustrations radiate Harriet’s joie de vivre and imagination, whisking readers along through paneled spreads and dramatic scenes. The primarily purple palette surrounds the action with warmth, as does the obvious love Harriet’s dads—one black, one white, and both wearing wedding bands—have for their daughter. A sweet celebration of family, individuality, and costumery. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.