Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? FROM OUR EDITORS
The Barnes & Noble Review
Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle -- the team who won us over with Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? -- now pay homage to endangered animals in this dynamically delicate picture book.
Following the format of their legendary Brown Bear, the two showcase a bevy of fauna through Martin's flowing text and Carle's magnificent cut-paper and watercolor illustrations. Lumbering Panda Bear sees "a bald eagle soaring by me," Bald Eagle spots "a water buffalo charging by," and big-horned Water Buffalo spies a "spider monkey swinging by," while more endangered creatures splash and sneak along. At the end, the creators don't fail to bring the text back to readers themselves, when a moon-and-stars Dreaming Child imagines the book's animals together "all wild and free -- that's what I see!"
Carle's energizing artwork, combined with Martin's environmentally conscious message, make this a vitalizing must-have for your bookshelves and a superb follow-up to Carle's previous animal-themed book, "Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," Said the Sloth. Sparking kids to learn more about endangered animals -- particularly with the Note on Endangered Species in the front -- the creators shine a light on an important topic with earnestness and timely panache.
Matt Warner
ANNOTATION
Illustrations and rhyming text present ten different endangered animals.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The author and illustrator team of the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? turn their extraordinary talents ot the theme of animal conservation.
Thirty-five years after their first groundbreaking collaboration, the creators of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? reunite to address the important topic of animal conservation. A Bald Eagle soars, a Spider Monkey swings, a Macaroni Penguin struts, and a Red Wolf sneaks through Bill Martin Jr's rhythmic text and Eric Carle's vibrant images, and all are watched over by our best hope for the future-a dreaming child.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
More than 35 years ago, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? introduced two men who are now giants in the children's book field, Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle. Two years ago they collaborated on Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, and now they join forces a third time to zero in on endangered species Martin's rhyming couplets dance to a now-familiar brisk beat, parading past a lineup that includes a water buffalo, spider monkey, macaroni penguin and whooping crane, among others. As before, each animal's response to the question "What do you see?" prompts a turn of the page and a new creature to view ("Sea Lion, Sea Lion, what do you see?/ I see a red wolf sneaking by me"). In the end, a "dreaming child" sees the entire cast of critters, "all wild and free." The bouncy repetition and streamlined presentation is keenly attuned to a preschool audience, who will also find much to pore over in the artwork. Carle's signature jewel-toned tissue paper and acrylic collages are simple enough for youngest onlookers to appreciate, yet filled with subtleties to delight adult eyes (such as the cool, lush blues of sea and sky) and he creates a sense of forward motion through his positioning of the animals (they all face toward the right-hand page). Another standout from the creators of a line of perennial favorites. Ages 2-5. (Aug.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature - Mary Quattlebaum
The bears are back! The author-illustrator team that introduced the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? in 1967 return this summer with Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?. Martin's simple, rhythmic text features ten endangered creatures, including a bald eagle, sea lion and spider monkey. As with the earlier book, each page invites the child to focus on one animal depicted by Eric Carle. The engaging chant and collages show how each animal moves, whether soaring, splashing or swinging. Little ones will probably imitate these motions with delight. Especially powerful is the book's closing image: a moon-faced "dreaming child" watching over all ten creatures "wild and free." 2003, Henry Holt, Ages 1 to 5.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1-While some adults may sigh at the similarity of this title to Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1983) and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (1995, both Holt), children will be thrilled. A water buffalo, a green sea turtle, a black panther, and other animals answer that familiar call, "What do you see?" Readers view all these creatures and more, a treat considering that the 10 animals featured are all endangered species and therefore rare sights. The book closes wistfully with a dreaming child who sees the animals all "wild and free." Names like "macaroni penguin" contribute to some awkwardness in the text's rhythm, but the bright collage images and lilting language bring the animals to life on the page-soaring, swinging, or even strutting. Opening with a helpful note on the importance of animal protection, this title will make a perfect segue into conversations about endangered species.-Julie Roach, Malden Public Library, MA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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