Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 11/01/2019 PreS-Gr 1—In this short tale, a young girl with brown skin and curly black pigtails awakens from a nap on the sofa to find her mother is no longer sitting with her. The bright, clear, and colorful illustrations allow readers to see that her parent has not gone far. The child speaks aloud to her orange-and-white cat as she follows clues and dons articles of her mom's clothing and accessories along the way. She eventually deduces where the woman has been. This book introduces children to the concept of solving a puzzle using information or evidence gleaned from the pictures and from the child's monologue. Back matter suggests that readers go to the website for information about the series—which offers Levels A through G, created to help beginning readers from "Early Kindergarten" into the start of "Early First Grade." VERDICT While not much of a mystery, the simple childlike text and vibrant artwork are effective and winning. A solid addition to most collections.–Maryann H. Owen, Oak Creek Public Library WI - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.