Xander planned a panda party. Yes, a dandy whoop-de-do!
But Xander was the only panda. Just one panda at the zoo.
The zoo’s paucity of pandas doesn’t impede Xander’s party planning for long. He decides to invite all the bears. But Koala protests. She’s not a bear—she's a marsupial! Does that mean she can’t come? Xander rethinks his decision to invite only bears, and “Calling all bears” evolves into “Calling all creatures.” The Newbery Medal author Linda Sue Park introduces animal taxonomy in a wonderfully engaging way, and the celebrated artist Matt Phelan’s charming ink and watercolor paintings are the icing on the cake. A read-aloud whoop-de-do!
Review
"Phelan takes Park's jaunty story about a panda with a complicated social
life and develops it still further. . . . There's food for thought throughout."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The upbeat, mostly
rhyming text provides a surprising amount of information about animal families
and species without tripping up the pace. . . . Perfect for young animal lovers
and a great read-aloud for storytime."
—School Library Journal,
starred review
"Liberal use of internal rhyme. . . makes Park's text
sing as it relates how Xander tackles each new challenge."
—The Horn
Book Magazine, starred review
"Phelan's ink and watercolor
compositions offer the perfect counterpoint to the tightly wrought verses, with
playfulness inherent in the fluid inky outlines encasing broadly applied
brushstrokes."
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books,
starred review
"Newbery Medalist Park's playful rhyming text
introduces young kids to different species of animals. . . Share this story
about the importance of inclusion with birthday kids and those fond of a trip to
the zoo."
—Booklist
