Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/01/2024 *Starred Review* Fleming adds to her oeuvre of picture books introducing distinctive animals with this lyrical paean to the world's smallest whale. Using a second person present tense perspective, she encourages readers to imagine that they are narwhals: jousting with their tusk (thick as a lamppost, / taller than a man, / . . . green with algae and alive with sea lice); searching for leads (cracks of open water that enable these Arctic mammals to breathe); avoiding hungry orcas, walruses, and sea lions; and diving, sometimes a mile deep, in search of food (You flip upside down to feed, / suck the fish into your toothless mouth, / swallow it whole.). So'Oteh's bold digital art makes good use of light and dark, portraying textures and details so vividly they almost resemble photographs. Most spreads flow horizontally, except for one double-gatefold (depicting a deep dive for food) that requires a 90-degree turn. Dark blues and greens predominate in the underwater scenes with a wider palette employed above the surface. Appended with an informative author's note that acknowledges the importance of Inuit knowledge and contributions to current narwhal research, as well as suggested reading, this will be popular with animal lovers everywhere—particularly those convinced these unicorns are imaginary. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.