Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 05/30/2025 Gr 1–4-This is the story of writer and dreamer Margery Williams. As a young child, Williams did not attend school; she read widely from her father's library and used her imagination to create kingdoms in her nursery. When her father dies, it, "casts a shadow over her world," and Williams is devastated. As an adult she writes three novels for adults. When she gets married, she moves to Paris and has children. Watching her own children at play, she rediscovers her creativity and imagination. The First World War begins, and the family moves to Italy. At the end of the war the world recovers, and Williams imagines stories in everything she sees. The toys in her nursery have always been important to her, and she sees her children with their favorite play "buddies." She remembers the hours she spent playing with a few of her beloved stuffed animals and begins to write, "of love, of loss, of becoming real," and the velveteen rabbit is born. Escobar's art was created digitally; the end papers feature the various toys made famous in The Velveteen Rabbit. A bibliography and a page of social and emotional activities to try with toys is included. VERDICT This captivating and loving story about treasured toys and childhood imagination is a great addition to every collection, especially nonfiction aimed at the lower elementary grades.—Pamela McLeod Thompson - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 12/01/2024 Although it includes biographical information about Margery Williams Bianco, this book is accurately described by its subtitle, “The True Story of the Velveteen Rabbit,” exploring Williams’ creative process and the influences that events in her life had on her writing. The digital illustrations capture the late 1800s through early 1900s in London, the U.S., and Paris. An imaginative quality is conjured as the pictures lovingly capture the magic of play, with Marjory reflecting on her and her children’s childhood toys. Snippets from The Velveteen Rabbit itself are included to connect Williams’ life and work. The wistful elements of the story echo some of Williams’ experiences; her father’s death, family moves, and the deprivations of WWI all made for difficult times. Watching her children create and play and remembering her own imaginative worlds led to the creation of the classic tale. A section called “Social Emotional Activities to Share with Your Toy” acknowledges the importance of toy friends in a young child’s life and expands and accepts the idea that children view those friends as real. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.