Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/01/2025 PreS-Gr 3—A giggle-filled story about the importance of expressing our true feelings and asking rather than assuming. Beatrix loves spending time with Granny, but worries that she will be lonely when they are apart. Going off the assumption that all grannies like cats, she gives one to hers. In turn, Granny assumes that Beatrix must love cats, and would therefore like more cats. It doesn't take long before Beatrix is driven to extreme measures in an attempt to return things to the way they were; the resulting near-disaster opens the door for true communication. Humor is often the best teacher of practical skills, and this book makes good use of the technique. The story is told in a simple way that is balanced and complemented by the digital illustrations, which consist of solid pastel colors and minimal linework in an informal style. The energy of the characters' actions adds to the fun, as do the many vignettes in the background. The human characters have a wide variety of skin tones, with Beatrix and her granny shown with light brown skin. The cats are given dazed expressions that add to the annoyance and chaos they create. Dynamic spreads highlight the story's climactic peril. VERDICT An appealing way to teach an important life lesson in communication, and great fun for the SEL shelves.—Virginia Pine - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Other - 09/08/2025 A simple misunderstanding multiplies into a "cat-astrophe" in Frost’s laugh-out-loud picture book. Worried that her doting Granny may be lonely between Beatrix’s visits, the child gifts "something that kept all grannies company": a cat. Perplexed by the present, Granny misjudges the gesture, assuming that "Beatrix must want one around." Eager to please her beloved granddaughter, the ambitious "fun grandma" acquires additional felines-a quantity that grows when increasingly frustrated Beatrix jokes "I think you need more cats." Thin lines, outsize proportions, and googly eyes define the cartoons that animatedly track the cat-driven chaos while foregrounding the companionable relationship of Granny and Beatrix, both portrayed with light brown skin. When Beatrix hatches a wily, balloon-filled plan to rid them of the kitties, Granny, ever-committed to her perception of Beatrix’s wants, swoops in for an undesired save that finally prompts Beatrix to come clean. Frost’s art and plotting amps up the humor on each page of this well-paced comedy. Background characters appear with varied skin tones. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) - Copyright 2025