Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 06/16/2025 In 16 wonderfully imaginative letter poems, Newbery Honoree Sidman imagines both sides of typewritten correspondences between unlikely pen-pal pairs, including a school and one of its bricks, a coat and a button, and a child and their toes. The book’s title refers to missives exchanged by a melancholy oak tree and its soon-to-fall acorn; the nut acknowledges that while its growth will be "so slow!" the acorn will nevertheless remain "your friend, the one who rises up beside you." Later, a "bobbing, drifting, shimmering!" soap bubble sends greetings to the sky, who thanks it for "that soapy kiss" before popping. Sweet (Unbound) responds to these heartfelt messages with signature-style collage images that go beyond special delivery: each one incorporates variations on color, perspective, scale, texture, and typography. Sincere regards to this fanciful celebration of connection, interdependence, and the rewards of not forgetting to write. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An afterword provides guidance on creating letter poems. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) - Copyright 2025

School Library Journal - 07/01/2025 PreS-Gr 3—A collage of connective poems told from the point of view of an oak tree to its fallen acorn and vice versa, from a brick to its school house and vice versa, and between more big and small pairs. The message of how the community ecosystem supports another is prevalent in each poetic duo of connectedness, up through the final poem from the point of view of the ocean "to all my creatures." Artwork is a mixed media of collage, vintage papers, and watercolor that fill the entire book with warmth and rich color. Each poem is written as a letter poem, and the back matter shares instructions to readers on how they can compose their own. VERDICT An excellent purchase for library collections where poetry and nature books are popular.—Molly Dettmann - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.