Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 10/15/2023 *Starred Review* A boy living in Brooklyn notices changes when his veteran father returns “from far away.” Once fun, active, talkative, and a heavy sleeper, his father now has nightmares, is often angry, and prefers to be alone. While the boy helps his mother in the kitchen, they discuss Daddy’s situation. Moore, a Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe Award winner, gives Mama thoughtful, direct, and age-appropriate language to explain that when Daddy was overseas “some bad things happened there” that made him sick. Although these bad things didn’t hurt his body, they did hurt his mind. Mama also reassures that Daddy’s anger is not the son's fault or a sign that Daddy no longer loves him. But when the boy asks how they can make Daddy’s head better, Mama admits that they’re still trying to figure that out. The story transitions as Mama takes Daddy and the son to the local YMCA, where they all participate in yoga. As the boy learns more about poses (which seem weird at first but become cool) and calming thinking, he notices positive transformations in his father. Together, they become yogis as Daddy continues to heal. Caldecott Honor Book illustrator Denmon emphasizes color in her realistic digital illustrations to reflect these changes. A sensitive, accessible approach to trauma and the mind-body relationship. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 12/02/2023 K-Gr 4—This picture book addresses the difficult topic of how veterans can reconnect with their families after their service. The story begins quietly, with a Black boy's father returning from war, and the boy's accurate observation, "But he came home different than before he left." With straightforward text and restricted color palette illustrations that convey the emotions experienced by the family (blue and purple tones for sadness and anxiety; yellow and brown infused tones for happiness), Moore shows how children experience the change in their parents and often attribute the changes to their actions. It is the boy's mother who helps her son understand that his dad became "sick" overseas because "bad things" harmed his mind. After she tells him that "Our minds are very precious, and we need to take care of them," she decides upon a course of action—taking her husband and son with her to a yoga class. Soon, the father and son are attending yoga classes weekly, learning new poses, calming their minds, and becoming yogi (those who do yoga). The day when his father playfully calls him a "boyogi" marks a milestone. The boy knows the father he loves is returning, and the father can share openly how yoga, his therapist, and his loving family have helped him rediscover joy. VERDICT The message of self-care and supportive family relationships amid a serious family crisis will provide hope for other families with a beloved member altered by war.—Sally A. James - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.