Whoa Panda!

“Panda is excited to be in the company of friends…perhaps a bit too excited. When the unnamed narrator waves, the cub bounds over and gets uncomfortably close; a close-up view of Panda’s eye fills one spread, while the rest of the exuberant bear’s face fills another. Asked to give the narrator some space, Panda backs off. But when a new friend—a brown dog—appears, Panda quickly forgets the lesson and bear-hugs the nervous-looking pooch. The narrator once more intervenes and offers some guidance. Panda complies and then cheerfully licks the narrator’s face. The narrator gently chastises Panda, who ambles off, saddened, until the narrator coaxes Panda back to have fun in a way that makes everyone comfortable. Using minimal text and peppy colored pencil and digital art set against colorful, uncluttered backgrounds, Jennings offers an amusing and creative take on bodily autonomy. Many caregivers and children will recognize these interactions, particularly when the narrator repeats the same point multiple times over the course of the book. It’s clear that Panda is still actively learning this lesson; indeed, the cub may even need a few reminders down the line. Compared with similar titles where the protagonist figures everything out by book’s end, this one takes a refreshingly realistic approach. A child-friendly guide to respecting personal space.” —Kirkus Reviews