Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 05/01/2026 When spring arrives, a family drives to the country, where they stay for a week on Mr. Santiago’s farm. While the parents enjoy the peaceful setting, their sons explore the farm. Their host, Mr. Santiago, introduces them to the two donkeys, Lucky and Norman. Though the boys are initially awkward around them, they yearn to play with Norman and Lucky, and they follow the farmer’s advice to earn the donkeys’ trust by feeding them apples and carrots, a practice that helps them eventually befriend the animals. When the animals are finally friendly, the boys spend each day running to the field and romping with the donkeys until it’s time to go home. Their awesome week turns bittersweet when they realize how much they will miss their new friends. Created using watercolor and pencil as well as digital elements, the illustrations sensitively depict the donkeys as well as the people in this quiet yet engaging family story, which was written as a collaboration involving three generations of family members fondly recalling their week in the country with Lucky and Norman. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.