Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 03/15/2023 Grandpa’s garden is filled with amazing plants. His young granddaughter comes to visit when she is small like a sprout, when she is taller than a sunflower, and later tall like a tree. Watching him water and prune, she gradually learns how to help care for the plants. He gives her a peony plant, her favorite flower, to nurture for herself. Peonies become a recurring symbol of his love for her. When her grandfather grows older, she helps him move to an apartment, bringing along a small group of potted plants, including bonsai. The girl becomes an adult with a home of her own, but she never forgets what her grandfather has taught her. Eventually she brings her own daughter to visit. The comforting cyclical story is told from an adult viewpoint, but by centering the granddaughter and great-granddaughter, the story stays relevant for younger readers. Digitally colored pencil illustrations give detail to the changing settings and emphasize the family connections. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 12/02/2023 K-Gr 3—This sweet, family-centric picture book about a young girl, her grandfather, and their relationship to plants and gardening will resonate with families separated by time and place. The illustrations of the plants in the grandfather's garden, in apartment spaces, and even in pots are vibrant, engaging, and postcard worthy. The prose is simple and breezy as we grow with the girl and her plants, and readers ultimately see her become a mother herself and bring her "sprout" to meet grandfather to learn about the power of gardens. VERDICT While engaging for young readers who have strong grandparent ties or a love of plants, the arc of the story feels more attuned to the parents reading this story aloud than the child reader, but the illustrations will pair well with greenhouse trips, garden growing lessons, and plant identification.—Aryssa Damron - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.