January’s Picture Book of the Month, Please, Mr. Panda, Serves Up a Tasty Lesson in Manners
January’s Barnes & Noble Picture Book of the Month is Please, Mr. Panda, by Steve Antony. It’s ideal for reading aloud, delivering a clear central lesson (good manners are important!) wrapped in a warm, lighthearted story.
Please, Mr. Panda
Hardcover $16.99
Please, Mr. Panda
By
Steve Antony
Illustrator
Steve Antony
Hardcover $16.99
On the first page, we meet Mr. Panda, who has a box of doughnuts he has decided to share with his friends. Mr. Panda is refined and courteous, with a gruff expression and a guarded desire to please. He begins to offer doughnuts to a litany of animals, including a penguin, a skunk, and an ostrich. He even rows himself out to open sea to offer doughnuts to an orca. However, as children will notice and delight in pointing out (especially after the first reading—and trust us, there will be many readings) not a single one of his friends responds in a mannerly way.
Instead of using the customary “please” and “thank you” when offered one of Mr. Panda’s treats, the animals respond bluntly, even rudely, with demands that range from “Give me the pink one,” to “I want them all…then bring me some more!” Put off by their poor manners, Mr. Panda changes his mind and withdraws his generous offer each time.
Not until Mr. Panda meets a lemur does he encounter a creature who is careful to say “please” and “thank you.” In addition, the lemur greets Mr. Panda politely, and softens his request with a “may I.” In return for this gracious behavior, Mr. Panda offers the entire box of doughnuts to the lemur, for, as we learn on the next page, he doesn’t even like doughnuts! He just likes being treated with respect. Many children, we suspect, will decide that they like both—which is just fine.
Teaching manners, as parents and educators know, can be a grueling experience, but Antony makes it easy. The concise dialogue is fun to read and accessible to even the youngest readers, and each page is a visual treat. Mr. Panda’s deadpan expression pairs brilliantly with his vividly colored doughnuts. Antony creates an intimate, appealing environment in which panda, skunk, ostrich, and orca all peacefully co-exist.
At the heart of this book are the potent magic words that help all of us build relationships, show esteem, and, of course, get what we want (like a whole box of doughnuts!). Please, Mr. Panda is not only an excellent introduction to manners, but, more importantly, a reminder that kind, thoughtful behavior is the only type that deserves a reward—not a bad lesson for readers of any age.
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On the first page, we meet Mr. Panda, who has a box of doughnuts he has decided to share with his friends. Mr. Panda is refined and courteous, with a gruff expression and a guarded desire to please. He begins to offer doughnuts to a litany of animals, including a penguin, a skunk, and an ostrich. He even rows himself out to open sea to offer doughnuts to an orca. However, as children will notice and delight in pointing out (especially after the first reading—and trust us, there will be many readings) not a single one of his friends responds in a mannerly way.
Instead of using the customary “please” and “thank you” when offered one of Mr. Panda’s treats, the animals respond bluntly, even rudely, with demands that range from “Give me the pink one,” to “I want them all…then bring me some more!” Put off by their poor manners, Mr. Panda changes his mind and withdraws his generous offer each time.
Not until Mr. Panda meets a lemur does he encounter a creature who is careful to say “please” and “thank you.” In addition, the lemur greets Mr. Panda politely, and softens his request with a “may I.” In return for this gracious behavior, Mr. Panda offers the entire box of doughnuts to the lemur, for, as we learn on the next page, he doesn’t even like doughnuts! He just likes being treated with respect. Many children, we suspect, will decide that they like both—which is just fine.
Teaching manners, as parents and educators know, can be a grueling experience, but Antony makes it easy. The concise dialogue is fun to read and accessible to even the youngest readers, and each page is a visual treat. Mr. Panda’s deadpan expression pairs brilliantly with his vividly colored doughnuts. Antony creates an intimate, appealing environment in which panda, skunk, ostrich, and orca all peacefully co-exist.
At the heart of this book are the potent magic words that help all of us build relationships, show esteem, and, of course, get what we want (like a whole box of doughnuts!). Please, Mr. Panda is not only an excellent introduction to manners, but, more importantly, a reminder that kind, thoughtful behavior is the only type that deserves a reward—not a bad lesson for readers of any age.
Shop all Kids’ books >