Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 06/01/2025 PreS-Gr 3—Even though Acorn Squash and Pumpkin are besties, Acorn Squash can't help but feel left out in the fall when Pumpkin becomes the star of everything from pies to lattes. Acorn Squash is determined to change things this fall and starts #SquashGoals, a campaign to become everyone's newest favorite gourd. When Acorn Squash's plan flops, Pumpkin inadvertently comes to the rescue, and the two team up to become a really gourd combination. Things get out of hand quickly, and the two gourds make a break for it, realizing they are happier when they are each other's favorite instead of everyone's favorite gourd combination. Diverse characters, text speech bubbles, and expressive anthropomorphic vegetables make this a clever fall read. Readers will enjoy Acorn Squash's ingenuity when he tries to sell people on squash jerky or Squilk, a new squash milk. Children will recognize feelings of jealousy when Pumpkin takes center stage but also appreciate how the two main characters recognize that friendship is more important than fame. VERDICT This fall-themed story of friendship is bursting with puns and adorable, big-eyed vegetables.—Melisa Bailey - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.