Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 06/01/2022 K-Gr 3—What a pleasure to see sprawling urban neighborhood scenes with every kind of adult, child, and dog imaginable, all packed into a picture book. For children who love dogs, this sweet story, charmingly limned by Cordell, follows a grandmother and her grandson, Louis, as they spend time trying to remedy a problem. Louis, resembling a sheepdog with black bangs hiding most of his face, canvasses the neighborhood to find out how many dogs live there after Grandma says there are too many for him to have one of his own. Grandma has a campaign of her own, concerning a vacant lot. By the end of the story, Louis has counted 20 neighborhood dogs, including the one he adopts, and his grandmother has turned the lot into a dog park. Louis's innocent but matter-of-fact narration is entertaining for all ages (with plenty of inside literary jokes to boot), while the illustrations show Cordell's signature sketchbook style of thin black outlines and soft watercolor paint. The art matches the tone of the book, making this a gentle and pleasant read. VERDICT In spite of its outwardly comical premise, this book delivers a ton of information on canvassing, addressing city agencies, amassing data, and getting things done. It can bolster various programs and collections, and makes a great addition to any shelf.—Sarah West - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 05/15/2022 Louis and his grandmother enjoy walking around their neighborhood. There is an empty lot in poor condition, however, that is troubling Grandma, and Louis is interested in finding out more about the local dogs. This story of community building and organizing gets some retro flair in the pen and ink with watercolor illustrations of Grandma’s apartment and the typewriter she uses to write a letter to city hall. Louis handwrites his own letter, and when he finds out that no one actually knows how many dogs live nearby, he decides to conduct his own census. As he makes his way from house to house, he meets various family types, their cleverly named pets, and even a guide dog named Ogre. Meanwhile, Grandma is working on her own project at the lot, cutting grass, trimming shrubs, and painting a sign. She’s made a dog park, and now Louis can invite all his new friends. A fun twist ending shows Grandma frowning at the exhaust from a city bus, a problem that sends her straight back to the typewriter. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.