Library Intern Book Reviews
Review of Panda and Polar Bear by Matthew J. Baek
Publisher
Dial Books for Young Readers
City
New York, New York, United States of America
Date of Publication
2009
ISBN
9780803733596
Date of Review
2012
Disciplines
Library and Information Science | Modern Literature
Keywords
Children's literature, reviews
Recommended Citation
Snyder, Amanda, "Review of Panda and Polar Bear by Matthew J. Baek" (2012). Library Intern Book Reviews. 49.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/49
Review
Panda and Polar Bear was an endearing children’s story about the friendship that developed between a polar and panda bear. The two bears’ homes were separated by a tall hill, but they met when the polar bear became too curious about what was beyond his snowy home and fell down a hill into the panda’s home. At first, the panda thought that the polar bear was just like him because the polar bear had fallen into a mud puddle. Eventually, he learned that his new friend was not a panda. Even though the two bears were different, they had fun playing together and remained friends. The book ended by showing that the two bears lived in a zoo, and they had many more friends to discover.
This book would be particularly helpful for teachers in a multicultural setting as it encourages friendship with those who are different. Panda and Polar Bear’s theme was that friends do not have to be the same. Befriending someone who looks different is rewarding. Teachers can utilize this theme to encourage friendship rather than bullying across a variety of situations. The illustrations were also excellent in this book as they aided in the telling of the story. One could not only follow the story through the illustrations, but the characters were well developed. The polar and panda bears expressed emotion through their facial features and movements making Panda and Polar Bear an enjoyable read. Recommended. Amanda Snyder. Centennial Library Intern.