PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: Whoa Panda! by C.S. Jennings
ABOUT THE BOOK
Panda gets excited when he sees a potential friend. So excited, he’s apt to put his cold, wet nose right in their face! Eeek! Whoa Panda! Fortunately Panda has a friend to help him navigate how close is too close. And before long, he is able to say “Way to go, Panda” instead of “Whoa Panda!”
With irresistible art and a simple, encouraging text, this entertaining picture book is perfect for helping little ones become more self-aware of personal boundaries.
REVIEW
After waving at the narrator, Panda runs and hugs the 'narrator' (shown in the illustrations with a closeup of Panda's face and then eye. The narrator points out how close Panda is and that they don't like it. After asking Panda politely for some space, the narrator thanks Panda for complying. When Panda meets a possible new friend in a puppy, Panda chases Puppy before squeezing the dog tightly. The narrator carefully helps Panda learn what is appropriate in terms of greeting people and respecting boundaries. Unfortunately, Panda does end up with hurt feelings despite the narrator's sensitivity and the narrator has to come up with a way to invite Panda back. The simple, easy-to-understand text combines with the fun illustrations showing Panda, Puppy, and the narrator's hands? Paws? You get to decide who you think the narrator is, could even be the reader. The illustrations focus on the characters with plain colored backgrounds which encourages the reader the focus on the characters and their actions. This book is a must for teachers and parents with young children (toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners) who struggle to understand boundaries and the importance of respecting them. A delightful read aloud with a relatable problem and solution taught in a light-hearted way. Highly recommended.
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