Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/01/2021 *Starred Review* With a nod to The Wind in the Willows (not to mention that wink to the author of the All-of-a-Kind Family books), Davies sends an odd-couple pair of animal burrow mates out to explore the “whole wide world.” Taylor, a hedgehog, is the one who has the big idea of an outing, but it’s Sydney the skunk who sheds his initial reluctance to pull his suddenly timorous roomie out of their comfy digs beneath the potting shed of the (supposedly) oblivious Miss Nancy. And what do they discover? Along with steep hills to tackle, hedges to poke through, and trackless meadows, it seems that someone neglected to bring provisions, that streams are for falling into, that when an overly frisky dog runs up, it’s good to be a skunk (but not for the dog), and that when there’s a busy road to be crossed, a gardener like Miss Nancy is handy to have around to stop traffic. Hocking illustrates the short chapters with delicately detailed scenes of settled, peaceful countryside and cozy subterranean digs well furnished with books and easy chairs. “Best expedition ever,” Sydney sighs afterward, collapsing into one of the latter. “We’ll see,” replies the newly emboldened Taylor, poring over a large map. Readers of this series kickoff, which lends itself equally well to solo or shared reading, will be eager to see, too. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.