Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/01/2020 K-Gr 2—The Unlimited Squirrels return for even more "acorn-y" fun, and there are "emote-acorns" punctuating the story as emojis do. True to established series structure, this is an easy reader told in interconnected vignettes with those acorn-y jokes in between, and a Table of Condiments so nothing gets lost. Zoom Squirrel dreams of sleeping under the stars, and Zip Squirrel is determined to help make that happen! But when Zip recruits all the squirrels to help encourage Zoom, the plan goes awry. The main story is followed by two additional (mostly) expository vignettes on the sleep habits of animals and the movement of the stars, and all of this is tied together with zany humor. Clean, crisp character drawings with sparse text lettered in various sizes and weights are encapsulated in speech bubbles. Educators know that Willems's simplicity is deceiving—the vocabulary and punning are unforgettable language lessons in disguise. This is a fun mix of fiction and expository writing that will appeal to both children and adults—conducted by characters with names like Wink, Flink, and Klink, and populated by an esprit de corps with bushy tails (although Flappy Squirrel is a bird). VERDICT A first purchase where previous titles by Willems are popular—where are they not?—Jessica Caron, Bancroft Sch., MA - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.