Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/01/2025 Gr 1–3—Snail and Stump are bastions of cuteness readers can really root for in this encouraging tale of friendship. The book details the bravery in confronting feelings, of facing fears head-on and instead of pushing them down. Snail and the wooden Stump support each other through a paper airplane folding contest, working through nervousness and anger. The narrative is cut through with amusing speech bubbles letting Snail and his friend Stump insert jokes or emotional details. Throughout, it emphasizes how good friends "hold feelings as carefully as [they] fold airplanes." VERDICT A perfect relationship guide, demonstrating how to help others acknowledge and work through emotions while giving space for their own feelings. - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

School Library Journal - 10/24/2025 PreS-Gr 3—Bravery comes in many forms, and sometimes the bravest acts are those performed among friends. Snail feels brave most of the time—but when it comes to considering whether or not to participate in the upcoming paper-airplane contest, he has a marked lack of courage. With the threat of failure looming, Snail bravely confides in Stump, who knows just how to help. And when the tables turn, Snail encourages and supports Stump through difficult moments, as well. This amusing story presents recognizable human feelings from the perspective of anthropomorphic forest characters. While it is an extension of the ongoing series, this book can be enjoyed whether readers have familiarity with the companion tales or not. Snail and best friend Stump are the primary protagonists, and their cartoon-like depictions and familiar dialogue will endear readers to them. Using a blend of word bubbles and narrative text, the book does a good job of explaining the plot in multiple ways while offering caregivers the opportunity to provide additional voices when the story is read aloud. Fans of Dashka Slater's "Escargot" will recognize a similar character in Snail, and anyone who has ever struggled with the ability to express their own emotions will empathize with the experiences here. VERDICT Entertaining and filled with positive modeling, this book is an enjoyable addition to social and emotional storybook collections for young readers, and it is fun to read aloud.—Mary Lanni - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 10/01/2025 In this third in the series of tales about the humorous mollusk, Hrab reveals to young readers just how brave Snail and his friend Stump really are. Though Snail admits, “I’m the kind of brave that’s kind of brave,” there are only three things that really frighten him: “asking for help, making mistakes, and believing in himself.” When a paper airplane contest is announced, Snail wants to enter, but he’s afraid he won’t do well. His good friend Stump encourages him, so Snail decides to sign up, and the two of them practice until the day of the contest. Snail wins a blue ribbon in the competition, while Stump doesn’t do well at all. Now it’s Snail’s turn to cheer up his friend and help him overcome the bad feelings he’s experiencing about not getting a ribbon. True bravery is shown when honest feelings are shared between the friends, and together they create a wonderful new use for paper airplanes that helps anyone who wants to overcome negative emotions. Fun and insightful. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.