Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2023 PreS-K—"When you take a look in the mirror, who's that kid looking your way? It's a person who's kind and thoughtful and smart and whose confidence grows every day!" A companion to How to Be Kind in Kindergarten, this gentle little book encourages young readers to seize the opportunity for growth presented by new and unfamiliar situations sure to occur once school begins. Newbie kindergartners get a sneak peak at what they can expect during the school year, from initiating new friendships to mustering the courage to raise your hand in class to developing a growth mindset for when a first attempt doesn't quite turn out as expected. Steinberg imparts these uplifting tidbits of encouragement through two to four simple lines of rhyming text on the left side of each spread, accompanied by Hammond's playful and brightly colored cartoon illustrations on the right. The bright-eyed children depicted are a diverse bunch of kinder-kiddos of various races, cultures, and abilities. The book's tiny size makes it convenient to store in a young child's backpack for any time a morale boost is needed. However, its small size could lead to being lost between larger picture books on library shelves and may be more suitable for personal book collections. VERDICT This bite-sized book offers a quick boost of confidence for kindergartners long past the first day of school.—Emily Brush - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.