Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 05/01/2019 PreS-Gr 2–Cyril is lonely. He is the only squirrel in the entirety of Lake Park. Until one day he meets Pat! Pat is a large, gray squirrel, or so Cyril thinks. He and Pat spend their days doing what squirrels do: putting on puppet shows, riding skateboards, playing hide-and-seek, scaring pigeons, stealing bread from ducks, and being chased by Slim the dog. Whatever they do, they do it together. And wherever they go, Cyril is told that Pat is "dirty" and "thieving," and he just isn't like him. Eventually, Cyril discovers that his friend Pat is indeed a rat. And squirrels can't be friends with rats! So Cyril is alone again and before long he finds himself in trouble. When he is rescued by his true friend Pat, Cyril realizes that friendship is more important than many things, including worrying about what others think. Lake Park still only has one squirrel, but he is never alone anymore, thanks to his brave best friend, Pat the rat. Gravett continues to impress by combining her colorful and witty illustrations with a sweet story while simultaneously sneaking in a very important lesson. This time, it's about the dangers of prejudice and stereotypes as well as the power of friendship. VERDICT An excellent read-aloud recommended for libraries everywhere.—Elizabeth Blake, Brooklyn Public Library - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.