Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 06/07/2024 PreS-Gr 2—Caldecott honoree Castillo (Nana in the City) gently explores anxiety and connection when a young girl moves with her mother, both pale-skinned and with yellow curly hair, to a new city. Content to play quietly inside while her mother works, the child is overwhelmed in social situations. When her mom tries to arrange a play date, "My face turned hot and my eyes felt wet." The soft acceptance from her mother speaks to an understanding, and one morning they go to the animal shelter. Millie the dog turns their family of two into three, and the protagonist's daily walks and care of Millie creates a safe space for her to meet people in her neighborhood with her mother and, eventually, make a friend; she approaches a mother and daughter with brown skin and dark hair and readers see them walking home. A warm palette of soft pastel, watercolor, and bold ink lines render cozy scenes and connectedness. The urban neighborhood is rich in bright colors, busy with people and their dogs. Despite the size of the city, everything begins and ends with the child's home, where she learns how to make friends because she witnesses Millie's behavior and fearlessness, and grows from this. Empathy, love, and acceptance win the day. VERDICT A first purchase and excellent choice for dog story times.—Rachel Zuffa - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 01/17/2024 *Starred Review* A little girl and her mother move into a new apartment. Initially, the child is too shy to make eye contact with their neighbors, too shy to agree to playdates, and too shy to join a group of kids at a bookshop’s storytime. One day, she and her mom visit an animal shelter and return home with Millie, a “not too big, not too small dog.” Quiet but friendly, Millie approaches every neighbor they see outdoors. Gradually, after watching Millie in action, the girl begins to let go of her fears and, one day at the dog park, gathers the courage to befriend another child and her mother, who are sitting on a bench nearby. Castillo, who wrote and illustrated the Caldecott Honor Book Nana in the City (2014), gives her new book an urban setting as well. In the first-person narrative, the girl recalls observing her dog’s approach to making friends, which helped her overcome her fear of strangers and, with a little help, make a new friend. The art, created with ink, watercolors, and soft pastels, sensitively portrays the characters’ emotions while depicting their lively neighborhood. A heartening picture book on a timeless topic: making friends. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.