Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/15/2024 In the forest, a little screech owl named Rosie settles down in a fir tree and falls asleep in a hole in its trunk. Daylight brings workers to fell her tree and others nearby, squeeze them into tubes of netting, load them onto trucks, and take them to a city Christmas tree lot. A girl named Lily, her brother, and their mother buy Rosie’s tree and take it home to decorate for Christmas. When they find Rosie, they call a wildlife expert who feeds her and releases her in their backyard. On Christmas Eve, the family looks out the window and sees Rosie flying away in the moonlight, returning to her forest home. First published in England, the text includes a few words, from lorry to peckish to bauble, that may need a bit of transatlantic translation, though their meanings are pretty clear from the verbal or visual context. The story moves briskly toward its fittingly happy conclusion, while the illustrations portray Rosie’s adventure with respect for wildlife as well as warmth and holiday cheer. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.