Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/13/2024 PreS-Gr 3—A sweet story of two pets, a cat and a dog, returning to their home and getting lost along the way. Readers are taken on an adventure down paths, across streams, past bears and a cave, until they finally find their way back home with the dynamic duo. The repetition of the phrase "two together" allows for listeners of the story to assist in reading and interacting with the read aloud. While the story is fun and cute, the real gems are the illustrations. Dog, and all it sees, is painted with large brushstrokes while Cat and everything it sees is rendered in thin, quick colored pencil and chalk lines. The dynamic between the two styles helps demonstrate how perspectives can be different from person to person: when crossing a river, the dog sees soft, moving water while the cat's portion is jagged and fast, perfectly illustrating their two very different opinions of water. At another point in the story, the two enter a cave and dog's areas are visible but shadowed while cat's sections are bright and colorful, drawing attention to the fact that while both animals can see in the dark, our feline friends have a better ability to do so. VERDICT A great short and interactive picture book to engage preschoolers and older kids alike.—Jennifer Ritzie - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.