Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 05/19/2025 Twining the fantasy of an unfettered childhood adventure with the majestic reality of an ancient redwood forest, Fleming (Rock That Vote) and Groenink (Whales in the City) offer an outdoors variation on a classic children’s rhyme: "This is the forest./ This is the steeple./ Giants and saplings/ and just a few people." As intrepid young hikers, portrayed with various skin tones, set off, the book orients vertically across the spreads to portray towering trees looming far above. Across gently textured digital illustrations, striking bird’s- and worm’s-eye perspectives follow the kids walking in cool, green shadows, marveling at dappled sunlight, and losing socks in a creek. When the kids emerge from a tunnel into a sun-drenched meadow, the book’s orientation turns horizontal, adding to a sense of "the great open wide." With the setting of the sun, the children wave goodbye to what they consider "a forest of friends," and one youth even ardently embraces a redwood. It all reads as an expression of hope that curiosity and wonder can transform into stewardship and care. Ages 4-8. Agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Jr./Folio Literary. (Aug.) - Copyright 2025

School Library Journal - 09/01/2025 PreS-Gr 1—This delectable picture book takes its inspiration from the "Here is the church" nursery rhyme and expands upon it wonderfully. Lapsitters or readers follow a group of children as they navigate through a forest, encountering trails and animals inspired to create games (a game of hopscotch using rocks is a personal favorite). The overwhelming joy of these children as they explore is contagious, supported by truly beautiful illustrations. With soft hues and various points of view, the illustrations bring readers even more deeply into the book. One of the truly show-stopping pages features a little boy looking up at the trees above him with the sun peeking through the trees. VERDICT This love letter to the great outdoors is one that every library should have in their collection.—Maria Graybosch - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 08/01/2025 *Starred Review* Frolicking text and a soaring, horizontal design beckon readers along a high-spirited adventure where curious children explore a towering redwood forest and many of the wonders that impressive ecosystem has to offer. With a lilting cadence building a strong sense of place through rhyming, well-paced revelations, a group of children appreciates the beauty and wonder that nature offers. Periodically, they pause: “Down through the canyon, / into the cool. / A sun-dappled rest stop / bridges a pool.” Two friends initially duck into the trees, but the group soon grows to four, then six, and then more, as the crew of brightly dressed, cheery kids investigates fragrant plants and various animals found along a path through massive, mossy rocks. Sweeping digital illustrations in rich browns and greens showcase giant trees and lush ferns, lending a decidedly Pacific Northwest vibe to an adventurous day spent traipsing downstream, tracked by shifting light and ending with a warm glow of sunset. Mostly double-page spreads require rotating the book to read, much like Corey R. Tabor’s Mel Fell (2021), with delightful shifts in perspective and panoramic scenes that should captivate storytime audiences and immerse lap listeners. The sort of read-aloud one closes with a smile; readers will long to revisit these woods. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.