Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 04/21/2025 Howe highlights the celebrated cellist’s introspective nature, conveying questions that Yo-Yo Ma (b. 1955) has asked throughout his life, first as a young musician taught by his father-"What does it mean to be a cellist? To be a musician? To be a human being?"-and later when questioning his future: "Who am I when I am not the obedient son, when I am not the cellist everyone expects me to be?" In diaphanous multimedia spreads with velvety textures, Wong portrays Ma as a young boy struggling to get his cello case up the stairs of his family’s Paris apartment, playing on television for the president of the United States, and then, in adolescence, slumped on his bed reading a comic book. Studying anthropology leads to further questions, a career choice, and to a realization: "I am a human being first, a musician second, a cellist third." It’s a warm, musing biographical work that details a figure’s desire to "bring people together in harmony and joy"-and invites readers to ask and answer questions of their own. Ages 4-8. (June) - Copyright 2025

School Library Journal - 06/01/2025 Gr 1–5—Young and old will appreciate this glorious new picture book on the life of cellist Yo-Yo Ma. What a beautiful and inspiring life—growing up in a musical family in Paris, at age four Ma declared his wish to play the cello. A bright, obedient, and sometimes silly boy, he worked diligently alongside his older sister under his father's tutelage to master musical theory as well as French and Chinese. When he was seven, his family moved to New York, and soon he and his sister were performing on television for the President of the United States. As Ma worked to have his cello express what was in his heart, he thought deeply about the question, "What is the purpose of music?" He also mulled over what it meant to be a cellist, a musician, and a human being. After studying anthropology at Harvard, Ma decided he would "spend his life not only performing for others but learning from others about their musical traditions and finding ways to bring cultures together through the music they make." Howe's story will move some readers to tears and make them think about the special gifts each person possesses. Wong's illustrations have a soft beauty that captures Ma's open-eyed wonder in the world and his journey from child prodigy to Earth's musical ambassador. VERDICT A heartfelt tribute to a master musician whose life has lessons for all of us.—Sally James - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 05/01/2025 *Starred Review* Yo-Yo Ma had achieved fame as a brilliant musical prodigy at age five, but in this insightful book, Howe doesn’t just provide the story of Ma's life as a musician; he also discusses his lifelong interest in understanding music and its role in our lives. This book includes basic biographical information about Ma's childhood, and the decisions that led him to become one of the most widely known, respected, and beloved cellists ever. Always questioning the nature, purpose, and meaning of music, as an adult, Ma has reached out to musicians around the world, enabling friendships and collaborations based on his long-time interest in music from other cultures. In 2006, he was appointed a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Wong’s illustrations, created with acrylics, crayons, and watercolors and digitally edited, are beautiful and engaging. While the book is accessible to young children, it may be more meaningful to somewhat older readers. Howe’s plain-spoken but high-minded reflections on Ma’s accomplishments will resonate with kids who admire the cellist, as well as the many readers who, though perhaps unfamiliar with Ma himself, are drawn to his ideal of uniting people around the world through their music. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.