The Princess and Her Panther

by Wendy Orr, Lauren Stringer (Illustrator)

Overview

A brave older sister becomes a princess and her timid younger sister becomes a panther—and together, they begin a wondrous trek. Before their very eyes, their sandbox becomes a stretch of desert, their wagon turns into a trusty pack camel, they pitch their silken tent, and the two sisters have an extraordinary—and brave!—nighttime adventure in their very own backyard.

The world of imagination sparkles to life through vibrant illustrations, and the rhythmic text makes for a joyful read-aloud.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416997801
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	07/06/2010
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD620L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Wendy Orr is the author of several novels and picture books including The Princess and Her Panther, Peeling the Onion, Ark in the Park, and Nim's Island, which was made into a film starring Jodie Foster. She and her husband live in Australia.

Lauren Stringer has illustrated many celebrated picture books, including Deer Dancer by Mary Lyn Ray; The Princess and Her Panther by Wendy Orr; Scarecrow and Snow, both written by Cynthia Rylant; as well as her own Winter Is the Warmest Season, When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky, and Dark Was Done. She lives with her family in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Visit her at LaurenStringer.com.

Editorial Reviews

"A warm and cozy tale of sisterly joy and sweet imagination."—Kirkus Reviews

"Children will recognize the thrill of confronting fears when you know that cozy comforts are right there when you need them."—Booklist

"Imagination is at the heart of this book as two sisters set out to camp in their backyard...This is a clever twist on the usual camping story and the fears that accompany it."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Gr 2—Imagination is at the heart of this book as two sisters set out to camp in their backyard. Their red tent becomes a royal shelter, the wading pool a lake, and the sandbox is the desert they toil across. The princess is stalwart, but her little sister, the panther, is unnerved when night falls. Orr's steady refrain is, "The princess was brave, and the panther tried to be," and the timidity of the panther is purposefully revealed in the rich acrylic illustrations. After one too many scares by neighborhood animals, the girls do not predictably retreat into the safety of the house but, instead, stand up to the night and are brave—both of them. The final spread shows that all is well in the tent, with a bright moon shining and the sisters contentedly asleep. This is a clever twist on the usual camping story and the fears that accompany it, and it pairs well with Margaret Ruurs's nonfiction When We Go Camping (Tundra) and Kristine O'Connell George's Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems (Clarion, both 2001).—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

School Library Journal