Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 05/05/2025 A "born naturalist," redheaded young Daisy is delighted to discover that when she skips bathing for five weeks, moss sprouts behind her ear and seeds start taking root. Daisy’s literal blooming alarms her parents, but horticulture-loving Auntie Betsy is all in, and together they transform Daisy into a walking garden. "By July, pussytoes were shooting from her shoulders, and fleabane was dancing on her wrists," writes McNamara (The Bug Girl), and as the child continues to sprout, pollinators and birds flock to her flourishing form. Ink and watercolor illustrations by Kerasco?t (I Walk with Vanessa) exude sunny abundance and playful grace, showing Daisy fully embracing her "rewilding" as an expression of both budding autonomy and green principles. After a summer of glorious growing, Daisy replants her offshoots throughout the neighborhood, transforming the previously manicured suburban landscape into a haven of indigenous plants. There was a time when children were told to wash in order to avoid growing potatoes behind their ears; this sustainability fable seems to turn a variation on that old warning into a child’s triumph and a community’s ecological awakening. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. A note about rewilding concludes. Ages 4-8. Author’s agent: Brenda Bowen, Book Group. Illustrator’s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (July) - Copyright 2025

Booklist - 01/01/2026 In this fanciful introduction to rewilding, a real-world ecological restoration practice, a composting nature-lover with a mop of exuberant red curls decides to stop bathing, grow a garden, and transform herself into a miniature ecosystem. Headstrong Daisy tells her bemused parents she’s “rewilding! Helping the land get back to nature.” With Auntie Betsy, the family gardening guru, offering gentle cultivation, Daisy literally grows into her own garden; she plants herself in the front yard, where vegetables and flowers flourish, pollinators perch, and birds flock. When marveling neighbors are persuaded by her blooming, biodiverse landscape, Daisy knows her message has taken root. She transplants her bounty to flourish on its own before finally agreeing to bathe—although she’d prefer to take a (rain) shower. Prolific award winner McNamara brings her signature environmental focus to this whimsical nature fable. Daisy’s persuasive pluck and the story’s cheerful, nature-rich vocabulary keep the tone buoyant. Kerascoët’s lovely, loose ink-and-watercolor illustrations abound in vibrant detail and botanical variety. A well-rooted addition to ecology-themed shelves, this imaginative offering will enliven conversations about environmental stewardship. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.