Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2025 PreS-Gr 2—The preparation for the family feast begins bright and early. Family members and guests come from all over, excited for the meal. With everyone bustling around in the kitchen, it's a wonderful chaos as the meal preparation continues. Even the kids play their part wanting to lick the bowl. The table is full of delicious dishes from collard greens to candied yams to biscuits and cornbread muffins. Readers will clearly see that sharing food at a table strengthens the bond of a family, and brings everyone closer together. This is a gorgeously illustrated celebration of African American family and food. Each illustration is dynamic with so much movement and life. The rhythm and rhyme of the lines make for a thoroughly engaging reading experience. In the picture book's pages is a loving Black family featuring members of various skin tones and hair textures. VERDICT This celebration of food and family is a perfect addition to picture book collections.—Myiesha Speight - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Other - 07/28/2025 Boston Weatherford and Morrison reteam for this joyful celebration of food, family, and tradition. Rhythmic lines describe Big Ma and Pops rising at five a.m. to begin preparations for an intergenerational Black family’s unspecified gathering. As relatives trickle in from all directions, everyone lends a hand. A warm, saturated color palette evokes the cozy chaos of a bustling kitchen, while layered details create a sensory feast on every page. Adults catch up while children revel in the delicious commotion as a refrain reads, "Tastes like home when family meet;/ a bond so warm, so strong, so sweet." After the slicing of a turkey, and a heartfelt prayer shown from a bird’s-eye view, the family assembles to enjoy one another’s company. The joy lingers long after dessert across this soulful tribute to legacy, love, and familial gatherings. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) - Copyright 2025