Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 08/01/2024 *Starred Review* Cleverly bringing life to ASL signs, Kane and McMillan's story of bedtime fear and a boy's imagination will strike a chord with readers, who are sure to want to try out the signs themselves before the story is even done! Milo is enjoying reading his favorite books when he thinks that, just maybe, a monster is lurking under his bed. His neighbor and friend Mel, though, is right next door, and using flashlights to illuminate their hands as they stand at their bedroom windows, the boy and girl communicate in ASL about what to do. Mel is sure they can rout the scary being by signing particular words that in turn create shadow-puppet monsters. In the end, it is simultaneously creating shadows of the words roar and chomp and the laughter of a hearty mwuh-ha-ha that does the trick. The teamwork and friendship shown here are winners, but the real appeal of this book lies in the way the story normalizes d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing communication. Illustrator Dion MBD cleverly uses a shifting array of colors to move the story: the warm gold of the flashlights and the soft blue of the evening outside are comforting and contrast with the orange-red glowing light around the monster's jaws. This surefire bedtime favorite is great for all collections. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.