Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 08/01/2021 *Starred Review* Using a ferocious storm as a metaphor for the COVID-19 pandemic, Yaccarino shows readers its effects on a family cooped up together with too much time on their hands. When the sky darkens and a fierce wind whirls around the house, a father, his three children, and their dog take refuge inside just before heavy rain begins pelting the windows. They have no idea how long their isolation will last and are not prepared for the monotony and too much togetherness. The longer the family is confined, the more boredom sets in and tempers flare. “And just when it seemed like it couldn’t get any worse . . . it did.” After they all retreat to their bedrooms as a reprieve from too much—with not enough quality—time together, the electricity fails. Figuring that being together in a blackout is better than being alone, the family crosses over into a more tranquil period, learning how to be a cohesive group while the storm lasts. Yaccarino’s signature illustrations in bold blocks of brightly colored hues and clean lines delineate one family’s quarantine struggles. Pictures in varying shapes and sizes show the family’s universal experience during the recent upheaval in the routine of life as we knew it. A new classic to help us understand and weather past and future storms. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 08/01/2021 PreS-Gr 2—In a distinct but subtle parallel to the COVID-19 pandemic, a family finds themselves hunkering down in their home as an unexpected and dangerous storm rages outside. The three children, one dad, and one dog grow frustrated with their seemingly endless proximity and confinement, bickering over one thing after another—but when lightning flashes nearby, they rally around one another for comfort and find a renewed sense of solidarity that carries them to the day they can finally step outside again. Yaccarino's illustrations draw readers' eye with a charming mid-century aesthetic while bold colors and expressive lines adroitly convey mood. The straightforward prose is equally strong, capturing the tension and tedium of pandemic life with striking effectiveness ("There was nothing to do, and too much time to do it."). This book is at once timely and timeless; whether readers interpret the main conflict as a pandemic or as a literal weather event, the story invites meaningful discussion about how people cope with hardships. Readers of all ages will be bolstered by the message about the resilience of familial love and the endurance of the human spirit. VERDICT A first purchase for picture book collections. Nuanced, affirming, and relatable, this book will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.—Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Lib., CA - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.