Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/01/2022 PreS-Gr 3—A young girl and her family prepare for Lunar New Year by cooking a sumptuous feast. Ren is eager for the upcoming celebration. She hopes this year she can finally help make her favorite New Year's treat, pineapple cake. Unfortunately, the grown-ups deem Ren "still too little" to assist in hanging lanterns, folding dumplings, and stirring noodles. Despite being relegated to an observer for these tasks, Ren's spirits remain high. She attempts to impress her older brother Charlie by making pineapple cakes on her own, but instead makes a big mess. Charlie patiently teaches Ren how to roll the dough, and an aunt advises Ren on how to press it into molds. Ren is proud to have contributed to the dinner offerings and grateful to be surrounded by her family on this joyous occasion. Cheerful cartoon illustrations bring a lively, upbeat tone in keeping with the sense of festivity. The palette of radiant reds, golden yellows, and budding greens reflects shades traditionally associated with the holiday and reinforces the warmth and love of this family-focused celebration. VERDICT A delightful charmer that touches on practices associated with Lunar New Year and highlights a variety of foods.—Sophie Kenney - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2022 - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2022 - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 09/15/2022 It's Lunar New Year, and all Ren wants to do is help out. Her baba is putting up decorations, her mama and uncle are making dumplings, and her aunt is cooking noodles, but when she asks to help, they all say the same thing: you're too little. It's only when her brother, Charlie, comes home that she's able to finally participate in the flurry of preparations. Together, they make pineapple cakes. They mix ingredients, roll out the dough, put them into molds, and bake them. Everyone applauds Ren for being big enough to make them. What follows is a lavish description of Lunar New Year foods, along with depictions of a traditional family dinner flanked by firecrackers and lanterns. The illustrations do a good job of showing the chaos before the biggest dinner of the year for Chinese families. There's a recipe for pineapple cakes at the end. A note to readers: don't read this book on an empty stomach, or you'll be hungry! - Copyright 2022 Booklist.