Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2013 K-Gr 5—A coyote couple is split apart when a rock slide startles them while they are squirrel hunting. The female spends days searching Yosemite National Park for her mate. She travels all over, sometimes encountering other animals, sometimes encountering park visitors. This gives Wadsworth an excuse to describe sights such as El Capitan and Half Dome, and some of the lodgings and activities. She has an easy-to-read, poetic style that speaks for the coyote without feeling forced. The descriptions of the park are necessary for readers who are unfamiliar with it, but they are done in a natural way. The story is tinged with melancholy and anxiety as the coyote calls to her mate over and over again. Both the text and San Souci's illustrations combine to help readers appreciate this natural wonder. The realistic pictures depict Yosemite in a hazy, golden light. The coyote is regal, at times scared, but at other times perfectly focused on hunting. While she remains a wild animal, her personality becomes apparent through the art. Finally, the coyotes are reunited and hunt together once more. An author's note describes the best way to view and treat wildlife.—Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 11/15/2013 A rockslide in Yosemite National Park causes Coyote to become separated from her mate. Afterward she travels through the park, skirting the park’s attractions—the Merced River, Yosemite Valley Chapel, Sentinel Bridge, Ahwahnee, and several others—while searching for her companion. She carefully avoids close human contact, but encounters several other types of wildlife. Full-page illustrations in a softly muted palette alternate a satisfying mixture of sweeping panoramic scenes and close-ups, all within storybook frames. Each step of Coyote’s quest through the wondrous park is relayed in free-verse form (“Grasses part. / Two tiny ears appear. / Coyote pounces. / A field mouse makes a tasty snack.”), which nicely balances the formality of the paintings. The final page supplies brief information about coyotes, including cautions regarding encountering wildlife. This can be enjoyed as a tale of separation and reuniting, a glimpse into one creature’s habitat, or an introduction to one of our great national treasures. - Copyright 2013 Booklist.