Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?
The book is endearing, plain and simple.
I think that "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, what do you see?" is a fantastic book! In fact, for young children, it might just be the perfect introduction to the existence of the endangered animals contained within.
I love the approach that the author takes in having each of the animals "looking out" for the others. When adults share this book with their young ones, children will often personalize the characters, imagining that they themselves are each of the animals on the lookout to spot the others. The text is simple and lyrical, perfect for 3 and 4-year-olds.
I read this book with my 2-year-old nephew, and though his attention span is significantly shorter than those of the animals in this book, he still enjoyed looking at the pictures, and aping me as I named them. "Panda" I would say, and "nanda" he would ape. Close. So close in fact, I can't wait to take him to the zoo this summer! I'm confident that familiarizing younger children with the existence of these animals is a crucial step in developing environmentally-conscious adults.
The book is endearing, plain and simple. And, it is in the endearing of these animals to very young children wherein lies the brilliance of the book. Just imagine, once these children are sensitive to and affectionate towards the existence of these animals, then further and timely learning on topics such as: nature's balance, ecosystems, extinction, protectionism and so on, can take place.
Age-appropriately wonderful!
