Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 06/01/2025 PreS-Gr 1—Meet the Letter Setters, a canine crew eager to embark on phonetic adventures. The first in a new series, this story follows a misplaced bone through the city and into the paws of a plethora of pooches. Hilarious high jinks ensue, including a disrupted construction site and mob of pigs on the loose, before the tasty treat is returned to its rightful place in the museum. With an emphasis on short vowels, each spread features one three-letter word describing the illustration. On the next page, readers will find one letter swapped to create a new word, along with a fresh and equally silly scene. For instance, opening pages show the dogs gathered around the bone in a trash bin, with the word "can," clearly visible. On the next spread, the word is "ran," as one pup dashes away with the bone. New and emerging readers will certainly be drawn to this series, with its accessible text and Long's signature humorous artwork. This terrific tool will not only get young learners excited about reading, but also develop literacy skills, including word relationships and families, as well as the connection between text and illustrations. VERDICT Recommended for purchase for early reader collections.—Olivia Gorecke - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.