Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/15/2023 Accompanied by painterly mixed media illustrations, a personified comet, at first unnamed and mostly unseen by any Earthlings, visits this planet periodically. As it returns again and again over millennia, the comet begins to notice changes. After a time, there are animals that observe the celestial visitor, and then one animal—us—starts to live differently from the others, and the Earthly landscape changes drastically. There’s even a hole in the sky, a phenomenon that’s one of the scientific facts covered in the afterword geared toward more advanced readers. The facts on the comet and on various stages of human development are well written in accessible language, but the tone can occasionally come across as preachy. Still, children who want to know more about Halley’s comet after they come across it in more general space books will find much to enjoy here, and those studying human history might find this unusual angle appealing. Back matter includes explanations of some of the concepts alluded to in the text, as well as a short bibliography. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.