Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 04/15/2022 *Starred Review* With a concise text and delicate, precise illustrations, this companion book to Cole's Nesting (2020) opens with a pair of industrious beavers. In late winter, they choose a small stream with maples and willows along its banks. They gnaw on some trees, toppling them and cutting off branches needed for building a dam to block the flow of water, creating a pond. In the middle, they construct a sturdy lodge with an underwater entrance. Inside, the female gives birth to three little ones, who are soon exploring the pond. When storms or predators threaten, the beavers retreat to the safety of their lodge. Stocked with food for winter, their home will shelter them throughout the year. Cole's fine gray-and-black line work depicts the beavers and their environment with graceful natural shapes defining the pond, the surrounding trees, and the animals. The use of color is minimal and all the more effective for it. In late winter, a pale blue tint appears in the sky. Spring brings a hint of green to the ground first and later to the trees, while in autumn, the maple leaves turn red, then brown, and fall to the ground. A beautiful introduction to beavers as builders and creators of their environment. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.