NOTE: I was given a copy for review but all opinions are my own,
This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has really thrown everyone’s life upside down. And little children have a hard time understanding exactly what is going on.
Enter the book that John Shay has written — Panda Demick.
John became a grandfather on the exact same date that the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 was a pandemic. This spurred him to write a book that parents can use to explain the pandemic to young children
Panda Demick, the main character, is well, a panda. A panda bear that is.
He has a special talent. He can talk to other animals — birds, ants, and ladybugs. They can talk with him.
Panda can talk to big animals, too, like elephants and whales.
While he can talk to people, big people were almost always too busy. (I’m lookin’ at you cell phones!) But little people weren’t too busy. Not at all!
While talking with the animals, Panda realized that pollution was hurting the world making the animals sad.
Something else was causing sadness. Something teeny. Something tiny. Something so itsy bitsy that it was hard to see. That something was Corona.
The book gently talks about things that people can do to stay safe from the virus — staying at home more and wearing a mask in public.
Then, wonderful things started to happen. People spent more time together. They planted gardens, read books, flew kites.
People also started making changes that helped make the world better (meaning less pollution). People COULD change . . .
. . . and so could Panda. (Notice how Panda changed from a regular colored panda bear to a very colorful one?)
What a delightful book!
I’m hoping that you caught the play on the word pandemic to be the panda bear’s name. Clever, huh?
The illustrations are delightful. My favorite is the page with a girl working in a garden. She’s wearing yellow Wellington boots. There’s also a small ‘library’ nearby. I love when people build littler roadside ‘libraries’ where they put books that people can take to read.
This book has lots of kid appeal. Lots of fun pictures. Lots of bright colors. Parents will enjoy them, too!
There’s a really fun thing on the back of the book — a QR code! Scan it with a free QR code reader on your phone. It will take you to an online picture gallery of animals. There are lots of beautiful pictures there! (Our youngest son loves hedgehogs so I thought I would share a picture of a hedgehog from the gallery.)
I like that the book shows that people can make a difference in pollution. The book provides a terrific time for parents to talk about pollution to children and what their family can do to prevent it.
The book explains how the Corona virus is so small that it’s hard to see — especially when compared to elephants and whales! Using the book as an example, parents can talk to their young children about how something so small can be harmful.
I know that many people have politicized wearing masks to help stop spreading the Corona virus. However, the World Health Organization has recommended wearing masks to protect yourself and others. Parents can use this book to help children understand this.
You can get a copy of Panda Demick on Amazon for $12.99.
