Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 04/07/2025 Hedgehogs Bean and Grandma winningly star in an agreeable series kickoff from Graegin (Fern and Otto), featuring 10 brief tellings that present the characters and their cozy world. In "Hello, Tiny Bean," an omniscient narrator introduces the setup: the two "can’t decide which story to tell you. So they’ve asked me to tell some stories instead." The brief ensuing anecdotes center on day-to-day experiences, their direct titles-"Bean’s Blanket," "A Box for Bean"-capturing the prose’s comfortingly quaint quality. Earth-toned digital artwork gives the duo all the accoutrements of humans, from toys to gardening tools to matching yellow boots, and oversize natural elements, including berries and flowers, remind readers of the critters’ diminutive size. Gentle humor plays throughout; in "Bean Visits Mr. Green," for example, a houseplant-shopping adventure sees the two rejecting several cultivars before settling on a little round cactus that perfectly mirrors the pair’s own spiny attributes ("This plant reminds Bean of Grandma. And it reminds Grandma of Bean"). Whether tracing efforts to battle a bad mood or the experience of being tucked in like a "bean burrito," these legume-length stories consistently delight. Ages 3-7. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (July) - Copyright 2025

School Library Journal - 05/01/2025 PreS-Gr 2—Bean is an adorable little nugget of a hedgehog. With cozy illustrations reminiscent of Beatrix Potter, anthropomorphized garden critters go about their business. A short collection of stories told by Bean's adoring Grandma, each tale has a page heading with cute little details, setting the scene before diving into the action. Some, like "Bean's Blanket" or "Bean Visits Mr. Green," simply walk through normal daily occurrences. Some are pure silliness, like "Boo," which features a giggly punch line. Regardless, they all show the magic in simple moments, like riding a swing or playing with stuffed animals. VERDICT A good bedtime book, or a quick read in between tasks. - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.