Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 06/02/2025 Employing the snappy timing of a top-tier animated short, Tabor (Ursula Upside Down) and Webb, making his traditionally published book debut, launch a series starring a woolly mammoth called Wally. A sledding race is about to begin, but Wally, sporting a bright pink ski sweater, loves sledding purely for enjoyment. When two competitive pals, Wolf and Otto, wax poetic about winning, Wally, arms open, says, "I hope you BOTH win!" Fate intervenes when Wolf and Otto collide and form a massive, growing snowball on the course, giving Wally the lead. ("Hey, Wally," Wolf calls out from within the snowball, "If you win, can I hold the trophy?" Otto adds, "If you win, can I have a cupcake?") Loose, sketchlike digital illustrations with icy-hued fill-ins create a playful, unintimidating atmosphere that welcomes readers into the escalating slapstick action, while speech bubbles remain accessible without sacrificing a single comic beat. Everyone wins in the end-including readers, who will enjoy the light balance of funny friendship story and exhilarating sled ride, plus a promise of further adventures. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) - Copyright 2025

School Library Journal - 09/01/2025 PreS-Gr 1—Wally Mammoth enjoys spending time with his friends Otto the bird and Wolf. On a wintery ice age day, they compete in a sled competition. Wally wants to enjoy himself and be with his friends, but Wolf insists that he wants to win, and Otto also claims the same. Wally tells them he wants them both to win. Shortly after they take off on their sleds, Otto and Wolf end up crashing into each other. Wally is now ahead, and readers may think he is going to win—but he, too, ends up in the rolling cloud of ice along with Otto and Wolf. The three friends end up at the finish line together, where they get to enjoy the trophy. This is a whimsical, silly story of anthropomorphic animal friendship. Otto brings his friends cups of warm drinks as they get ready for the race, and Wolf displays human childlike traits of enjoying hugs and cupcakes. Bright, colorful pictures depict an ice age background, and the characters speak in speech bubbles with a comic-style text font. Tabor adeptly introduces the subject of friends who can still cheer each other on, even though they may be competing. VERDICT A wonderful addition to children's library collections.—Annmarie Braithwaite - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 09/01/2025 Wally Mammoth lives in the Ice Age and is joining a sled race with his friends Otto the great auk and Wolf the gray wolf. Otto and Wolf are both competitive and eager to win, while Wally is just happy to enjoy the race and spend time with his friends. The story, told entirely through speech bubbles with simple vocabulary and short text, is perfect for emergent readers. In classic Tabor fashion, something goes hilariously wrong; this time, the characters get swallowed by a giant, ever-growing snowball. The humor is spot-on for young readers, and the pacing keeps the story moving quickly while still being easy to follow. Watercolor illustrations are bright and playful, and they tell at least half the story—especially since some pages have no words at all. The visual storytelling is key to the book’s charm and comedy, particularly in the snowball scenes, where the absurdity builds panel by panel. With strong visual support, great humor, and lovable characters, this proves to be another standout early reader from Tabor. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.