Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?

Rating:
Summary: When relevance overshadows art
Review: In the abyss of children's entertainment gone relevant lies Marcus Pfister's Rainbow Fish, Shari Lewis' Lambchop in the Land of No Manners, and Bill Martin Jr./Eric Carle's Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? In this picture book, Martin and Carle describe endangered animal species using the same format as their classic Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? However, unlike their previous enchanting collaborations, Panda Bear looks to be a product of labor not love, the victim of an overly constrained premise that allows little room for Carle's visual imagination to roam. With the excitement of an elementary school student doing his homework, Carle forces out drab, rushed illustrations of a panda, eagle, water buffalo and six other threatened species. Even the addition of a moon-headed 'Dreaming Child' fails to inject poetry into the text. We are left feeling stirred not by the color or mystery of the world, but by a joyless obligation to save it.


Rating:
Summary: Not quite as captivating as Brown, Bear
Review: It's a nice concept and most kids will love the words, different animals and the concept of going from one animal to another. Panda Bear was really written because Brown Bear established such a terrific template. In other words it's a sequel. Like most sequels it doesn't quite measure up.

Kids will still enjoy the colorful pictures, sounds of words and guessing what comes next in the story. Perhaps that's all they need. Sometimes the educational aspect is important and sometimes kids just need entertainment. This is entertaining for little ones and it's a simple enough story so that little ones can start pretending to read and feel more grown up.

Rating:
Summary: Great Companion to a Classic
Review: This book is similar to the original Brown Bear book, with illustrations of panda bear, bald eagle, water buffalo, spider monkey, green sea turtle, macaroni penguin, sea lion, red wolf, whooping crane, black panther, and moon-faced dreaming child.

The illustrations are beautiful--Carle's signature watercolor-collage style. While Brown Bear's illustrations show each animal against stark white backgrounds, Panda Bear's illustrations feature them against bold backgrounds. (Younger toddlers may find the red wolf and the black panther a little scary.)

Although this book doesn't lend itself to teaching basic colors and animal sounds the way that the original does, it is a good way to teach the concept of endangered species to younger children. Overall, a great companion to a classic!

Rating:
Summary: HOPEFUL AND INFORMATIVE
Review: Wordsmith Bill Martin and artist Eric Carle are an unbeatable team. Much to the joy of parents and young readers this talented duo has joined forces once again - only their third collaboration in 35 years! It was worth the wait.

With "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What do You See?" children meet ten of the world's endangered animals - a bald eagle soaring , a water buffalo charging, a spider monkey swinging, a green sea turtle swimming, a macaroni penguin strutting, a sea lion splashing, a red wolf sneaking, a whooping crane flying, and a black panther strolling.

Each animal is portrayed in Eric Carle's inimitable eye catching collages, and the book closes with a portrait of a sleeping child dreaming that one day all animals will be wild and free.

An estimable hope; a book to be treasured.

- Gail Cooke

Rating:
Summary: HOPEFUL AND INFORMATIVE
Review: Wordsmith Bill Martin and artist Eric Carle are an unbeatable team. Much to the joy of parents and young readers this talented duo has joined forces once again - only their third collaboration in 35 years! It was worth the wait.

With "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What do You See?" children meet ten of the world's endangered animals - a bald eagle soaring , a water buffalo charging, a spider monkey swinging, a green sea turtle swimming, a macaroni penguin strutting, a sea lion splashing, a red wolf sneaking, a whooping crane flying, and a black panther strolling.

Each animal is portrayed in Eric Carle's inimitable eye catching collages, and the book closes with a portrait of a sleeping child dreaming that one day all animals will be wild and free.

An estimable hope; a book to be treasured.

- Gail Cooke