Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 02/01/2020 Gr 3–5—Detective X, a polar bear with a badge and a magnifying glass, is hunting criminals of the animal kingdom. Their crimes? Llamas are wanted for spitting, cuckoo birds for laying eggs in other birds' nests, and wood frogs for playing dead. In other words, the animals are wanted for exhibiting their natural survival behaviors. The book is structured as a series of criminal dossiers with mug shots and evidence paper-clipped to file folders. The commitment to this structure creates an immersive experience for readers. Batori's illustrations bring big personality to even the littlest of creatures, like red crabs and antlions. However, the book's interesting facts can get lost within the perplexing fictional structure. By the end of the book, all of the animals are in the slammer and a child is considered a menace to society for refusing to go to bed. VERDICT Even in the jokey, tongue-in-cheek fashion in which the book is presented, the criminalization and imprisonment of animals and children for their natural behaviors is a strange conceit that makes the book difficult to recommend.—Chance Lee Joyner, Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library, NH - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 03/01/2020 Many members of the animal kingdom are renowned for their amazing abilities, but what about the critters with slightly more sinister traits? This playful book presents 13 different animals as villains on a detective’s “most wanted” list. Each creature comes with an illustrated mug shot and detailed rap sheet, listing particular attributes and whereabouts. “Slippery Slick” is wanted for assault, for example—the rascal turns out to be a spitting llama, and the rap sheet includes his alias (the scientific name), gang name (a herd), and sightings (geographical habitat). Batori’s comical illustrations suit the humorous subject matter perfectly, and each page is laid out as if the reader is privy to the actual case file scattered on the detective’s messy desk. The unusual—and occasionally gruesome—traits will fascinate, and the format is a clever method of imparting a lot of knowledge in a manageable, entertaining way. In addition to their previous felonies, the animal criminals may end up stealing readers’ hearts! - Copyright 2020 Booklist.