Big Yang and Little Yin

May 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-Two pandas are exploring the forest with their red wagon when Big Yang gets stuck in a tree trunk. It's up to Little Yin to save the day. Once separated, both pandas are sad and feel less than brave. McAllister includes the pandas' inner dialogue to show that sometimes even the bigger and bolder of two friends needs reassurance when something goes wrong. When Little Yin is backtracking through the forest for help, she finds a way to rescue her friend by using the resources already around her. The lovely, soft watercolors capture the action yet keep the forest from seeming too frightening for young listeners. VERDICT This empowering story allows readers to see that anyone is capable of heroism, no matter their size. A solid addition for most collections.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

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