Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/15/2019 The team behind the Pura Belpré Honor Book, Green Is a Chile Pepper (2014), returns with another bilingual concept book about counting. Thong's poem introduces counting words in English and Spanish, while Parra's bold, warmly painted illustrations vividly capture the culture and customs, from maracas to calaveras, piñatas to velas. Each rhyming verse presents a number, with terms in Spanish highlighted in bold font. The spreads include illustrations that match the number in each rhyme, inviting readers to explore and count the images throughout each page. Readers will also find other elements of Latinx culture, enabling them to learn beyond numbers. Parra's paintings are full of life, matching the text and enhancing the narrative. There is a counting exercise at the end of the story and a list of translated terms in the glossary, making this an easy language-learning tool. A nice pairing with Virginia Kroll´s Uno, Dos, Tres, Posada! (2006), Patty Rodriguez' Counting with Frida (2014), and Susie Jaramillo's Little Skeletons Countdown to Midnight (2017) and its accompanying app. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/01/2019 PreS-Gr 1—This companion to Green Is a Chile Pepper and Round Is a Tortilla makes learning numbers in English and in Spanish a fun fiesta for young readers. Through rhyming stanzas, children can count from one to 10, using bolillos, burbujas, paraguas, and calaveras along the way. Each number has its own theme, representing a year's worth of seasonal pastimes and festivals. The book is playful and fun to read and offers plenty of opportunities for bilingual vocabulary development, incorporating recognizable symbols of Latinx cultural heritage. Short, catchy text will hold the attention of very young learners and add to the book's buoyant appeal. Brightly colored, animated illustrations blend the imaginative with the realistic and complement the singsong rhythm, with words and pictures evenly placed throughout. Colors are vibrant, with a diversity of skin tones represented. Plenty of space around the text will facilitate letter recognition and comprehension for beginning readers; Spanish and English words are woven together seamlessly, accurately relating concepts in both languages. VERDICT An obvious choice for any picture book collection, this book teaches counting skills and new words while celebrating Hispanic and Latinx culture.—Natalie Romano, Denver Public Library - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.