Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 05/01/2021 PreS-K—Refreshingly novel for its unexpected duo of characters, Arnaldo's digitally illustrated story about a budding friendship between a raccoon and a plant seed will amuse young listeners. Grub the raccoon roots through a trash can for his dinner, only to find a curious, green Seed asking to be planted in the ground. With the fervent hope that Seed will become a cheeseburger plant, Grub cares for him as he sprouts. Grub has never had cheeseburgers before, deeming them "very good and very special," a handy but subtle metaphor that ultimately reflects the idea of friendship and often pops into the duo's simple, sometimes silly, conversations. Interpreting such an unembellished message in the story amid the action and creative visuals may require discussion to help reveal how the time Grub and Seed spend growing a special friendship, rather than cheeseburgers, holds the greater value. Arnaldo makes productive use of negative space and crafts different perspectives panel by panel to set the pace of the text and animate her characters; however, insights into Grub and Seed's emotions are limited, with exception to the conclusive revelation. VERDICT A delightfully quirky tale about an uncommon pairing of characters that offers light humor and guileless dialogue as they learn to treasure their blossoming friendship.—Rachel Mulligan, Westampton, NJ - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 09/15/2021 Grub the raccoon meets Seed the seed one night while rooting through a garbage can. Seed is waiting for someone to plant him. On the hopeful chance that Seed will grow into a hamburger plant, Grub plants Seed immediately, and then they wait. Grub keeps Seed faithful company from moonrise to moonset until Seed finally blooms. It’s not what they had expected, and not even what they hoped, but flowers are special, too. Maybe even as special as a cheeseburger. This is a sweet tale of slow-blossoming friendship and unconditional acceptance, of celebrating differences and being gentle with others. The story and its quirky characters are highly original and use excellent dialogue, positioned on the page with thoughtful and theatrical placement. The use of color in a mostly nocturnal book is particularly skillful, culminating in a glorious rose-colored sunrise, and the illustrations present delightful layers of imaginative, whimsical joy—from the most adorable Seed-bottom to a raccoon playing the banjo and dreaming of donut bushes and pizza blossoms. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.