Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/13/2024 Gr 2–4—Prunella is a young girl who loves plants, especially those that are carnivorous, stinky, or painful to the touch. Her parents encourage her hobby, but her classmates find Prunella and her plants unusual and off-putting. She grows up with only the company of her greenery, until she meets a small crew of like-minded botanists fascinated with her plants. The story is told through text traditionally positioned in the story panels as well as through dialogue bubbles that are incorporated into the artwork. Digital artwork is sophisticated, which further lends the book a graphic novel feel. The illustrations are lush: characters are expressive, brush strokes are bold, plants are lovingly rendered, and the color palette is pleasing. Characters of different races and physical abilities are depicted, although most body types are slender. Endpapers include expanded information about Prunella's favorite plants, like cacti and Venus fly traps. The book has a fresh and lovely outcome: Prunella's happiness lies not in winning over the affections of those who see her and her hobbies gross and strange; she finds contentment when she finds a community of people with similar interests. VERDICT This is not only a unique story with a strong message, but the spotlight on lesser-appreciated plants makes this book a must-buy.—Chance Lee Joyner - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 07/01/2024 *Starred Review* Born with a purple thumb, Prunella shares a love of flora with her master-gardener parents, although her plant proclivities tend toward the spiky, stinky, and noxious varieties. With care and devotion, the child fills her garden with “bladderworts, porcupine tomatoes, and corpse flowers.” Her unique horticultural handiwork makes the neighborhood kids “not only nervous but nauseated.” Prunella tries inviting them in and sharing her passion and knowledge, but thorns, bees, and carnivorous plants send her peers heading to greener pastures. Content with the company of a prized cactus, she grows the reputation of being “prickly.” When Oliver, a young aspiring botanist with a simpatico penchant for skunk cabbage and Venus flytraps, enters her garden, “it [plants] a seed. A tiny, hopeful friend-shaped seed.” As solid bonds with kindred spirits take root, Prunella blossoms. Speech-bubble dialogue extends the wordplay-filled narrative. In nightshade-purple and berry-blue hues, Keane’s (I Want 100 Dogs, 2023) cartoony digital artwork creates an earthy atmosphere. Endpapers provide an illustrated, annotated catalog of “Prunella’s Persnickety Plants.” This delightful picture book cleverly shows how good things grow by following your interests and cultivating genuine connections. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.