Two Shy Pandas

March 15, 2013
When little ones are very timid, it can take some time to form a friendship. Panda lives at Number 1 Bamboo Gardens, right next door to Pandora at Number 2. He longs to say, "Please come over and play!" but for some reason, whenever he sees her, he runs away instead. Next door, Pandora isn't having much fun either. She can't seesaw by herself, and throwing a ball to nobody makes her sad. Then, one winter's day, it starts to snow. Panda rushes outside to make some snowballs, which he throws over the fence to Number 2. When Pandora doesn't respond, Panda gets worried. What if she feels poorly or has gone away? In truth, she's been inside the whole time, but she has the same worry about Panda. "Two very worried pandas / Wondered if they might / Be brave enough to go next door / And say, 'Are you all right?' " They open their doors to check, colliding midway. An instant bond is formed. Together Panda and Pandora build a snowman, bounce up and down on the seesaw, dance on their ice skates and read storybooks. Best of all, they promise to be friends "[f]orever and ever." Pandas make adorable stand-ins for little children, as Varley's friendly watercolor illustrations attest. Sweet tonic for skittish young listeners. (Picture book. 3-5)

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March 1, 2013

PreS-K-Two pandas live next door to each other, with a fence between them. Panda would love to meet his neighbor, but he's too shy. Likewise, Pandora is too timid to make the first move. Winter comes, snow covers everything, and both of them stay indoors. When they start to realize that they haven't seen each other for quite a while, they work up the nerve to go outside and look for the other, colliding between their houses. "Two little pandas, /Close together, /Agreed to be friends./Forever and ever." The illustrations are done in watercolor and ink; they show the change of season well, and a couple of scenes include a parent watching from the window. This sweet story could give a gentle push to shy youngsters.-Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI

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