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Dinner at the Panda Palace: A Funny Counting Story About Animals and Making Room for Everyone for Kids (Ages 4-8)
CELEBRATING 32 YEARS IN PRINT!
This rollicking, rhyming counting book is a proven read-aloud winner at home and in the classroom.
Join one hungry elephant, two carsick lions, three pigs running from a wolf, and dozens of other funny, playful animals as they swing, bound, and bounce into the Panda Palace for a hearty meal. When the restaurant is totally full, can Mr. Panda make room for one more guest?
This PBS StoryTime book is perfect for school units on inclusion, empathy and kindness. Most important, each child will come away knowing that "there will always be room at the Palace for you."
This rollicking, rhyming counting book is a proven read-aloud winner at home and in the classroom.
Join one hungry elephant, two carsick lions, three pigs running from a wolf, and dozens of other funny, playful animals as they swing, bound, and bounce into the Panda Palace for a hearty meal. When the restaurant is totally full, can Mr. Panda make room for one more guest?
This PBS StoryTime book is perfect for school units on inclusion, empathy and kindness. Most important, each child will come away knowing that "there will always be room at the Palace for you."
32 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 1991
6 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Calmenson
152 books36 followersStephanie Calmenson's many popular titles include concept books, funny school stories, poetry collections, books about dogs and, with Magic School Bus author Joanna Cole, anthologies and beginning reader chapter books.
Stephanie's books have been called "marvelous" (PW), "lyrical" (SLJ), "hilarious" (SLJ), "sweet, funny, and right on the mark" (Booklist).
Before turning to writing, Stephanie was a teacher, a children's book editor, and Editorial Director of Parents Magazine's Read-Aloud Book Club.
Website: my link text
Stephanie's books have been called "marvelous" (PW), "lyrical" (SLJ), "hilarious" (SLJ), "sweet, funny, and right on the mark" (Booklist).
Before turning to writing, Stephanie was a teacher, a children's book editor, and Editorial Director of Parents Magazine's Read-Aloud Book Club.
Website: my link text
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
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September 1, 2020Got an email from my daughter, M, the other day, ‘Do you remember a book (I think it was a read-along book with a tape recording too) where there were a bunch of animals all trying to fit into a house, with the question, “Is there room for ONE MORE?” That is something I say often. C (her husband) thought it was a “M-ism”, until recently, when I said it was from a book. He asked which book and I cannot for the life of me remember! Do you?’
After a back-and-forth email/phone discussion for the better part of the day, she found it! (To my chagrin!) 😉
Last night I read it to aloud to my husband and memories came flooding back. Dinner at the Panda Palace is a delightful children’s rhyming counting book about a restaurant where progressively larger groups of animals come for dinner.
A hungry elephant, a pair of lions, three pigs running away from a wolf, four splendid peacocks, five swinging monkeys, six giraffes who’d just ‘painted the town’ (literally, as they have paint cans around their necks), seven laughing hyenas, eight elegant penguins dressed for a date, the nine Honey Bear All Stars, and mother hen with her chicks for their table for ten, show up in turn and are welcomed by Panda and shown to their respective places.
Then comes the crisis, which my daughter remembered so well. The restaurant was full. All the tables were taken. What would happen if one more unexpected guest showed up? I think from the opening and my daughter’s memories, you can guess!
Highly recommended, as it can remain with your child long past when s/he is little!
After a back-and-forth email/phone discussion for the better part of the day, she found it! (To my chagrin!) 😉
Last night I read it to aloud to my husband and memories came flooding back. Dinner at the Panda Palace is a delightful children’s rhyming counting book about a restaurant where progressively larger groups of animals come for dinner.
A hungry elephant, a pair of lions, three pigs running away from a wolf, four splendid peacocks, five swinging monkeys, six giraffes who’d just ‘painted the town’ (literally, as they have paint cans around their necks), seven laughing hyenas, eight elegant penguins dressed for a date, the nine Honey Bear All Stars, and mother hen with her chicks for their table for ten, show up in turn and are welcomed by Panda and shown to their respective places.
Then comes the crisis, which my daughter remembered so well. The restaurant was full. All the tables were taken. What would happen if one more unexpected guest showed up? I think from the opening and my daughter’s memories, you can guess!
Highly recommended, as it can remain with your child long past when s/he is little!
January 15, 2010
Dinner at Panda Palace is a numerical list of all the different types of animas that enter into the Panda Palace. The number of animals goes from 1 elephant to 5 bears and 10 peacocks! This is a great story to share with young children to help them learn to count their numbers. The story offers great illustrations of each of the animals as well as provides rhyme and unique characterics of each of the groups of animals such as the proud peacocks! This story is entertaining and educational!
September 28, 2019
One of my absolute favorite books from childhood. Now, I make sure to read it to my class of kindergarteners every year to help teach them how to count and use number sense. I can't wait to share this with my own kids someday when I'm a parent.
April 20, 2018
I read this a lot to my kids. It is a sweet story, and a pleasure to read aloud—nice rhyme and rhythm.
February 13, 2018
This is one of my all time favourite children’s books. I first heard this book read on the television show “Reading Rainbow” with host LeVar Burton, when I was little girl. I remember asking my mom if we could write it down and sign it out next time we went to the library, this turned into kind of a funny story. After spending time at the library I was so stubborn and wouldn’t leave without signing out the book even though the line was long & my mother had realized her parking metre had probably run out as I was taking to long ... this ended up being a story we now sometimes joke about how “The Dinner at the panda palace” got my mom her first parking ticket lol.
If I ever make a book of short stories this would be one lol maybe I’d call this short “the panda palace parking ticket”
I can’t wait to read this book to my children someday. Because “No Matter How many , No Matter how few there will always be room at the palace for You “
If I ever make a book of short stories this would be one lol maybe I’d call this short “the panda palace parking ticket”
I can’t wait to read this book to my children someday. Because “No Matter How many , No Matter how few there will always be room at the palace for You “
September 9, 2020
This is absolutely one of my favorite books from my childhood. My mom read me this book to me at least once a week. Dinner at the Panda Palace is about a panda opening a restaurant for all different types of animals. It starts out with one animal coming and then continue up and till ten groups of animals. It is all about how they welcome everyone to the palace even it is packed. Even when it is full of 55 animals they still find room for one more. Mr. Panda welcomes everyone to Panda Palace. The book shows kids how to count and predict what animal is next. It also shows a pattern from showing one animal then continuing up. The pictures in the book are amazing too. All the different animals have different types of clothes on and look different, but they all fit together. Overall the book is great, and it will always be one of my favorites and I can't wait to ready it to my future class.
July 25, 2014
Dinner at the Panda Palace, by Stephanie Calmenson, is the fanciful tale of Mr. Panda and the many and varied guests who arrive at his restaurant for dinner one night. There's one enormously hungry elephant, two royal lions, three pigs hoping to grab a bite while hiding from the big bad wolf, and so on. Each group of diners arrives one at a time wishing to find a table at the Panda Palace. This enchanting book is brimming with captivating and lyrical rhymes which are complemented by clever and whimsical illustrations. This classic is sure to keep youngsters entertained time and time again.
April 12, 2017
One of my favorite childhood books. This is a wonderful story about the restaurant, The Panda Palace, and teaches great lessons to kids about the importance of inclusion, as well as a fun introduction or review to counting, as each party of diners gets progressively larger. Very well told, extremely well-illustrated, this will always be one of my top favorite children's books.
January 5, 2015
This is a great book for learning to count! Kids can learn their numbers in this pleasant rhyming story. We loved the illustrations and all the things going on with the animals in the background. I can't wait to have "Dinner at the Panda Palace" again soon!
January 26, 2023
Mommy had never read this one before! I thought she'd read every book we own. We were both happy reading it. We learned about animals, numbers, and making room for everyone!
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October 13, 2015Title: Dinner at the Panda Palace
Author: Stephanie Calmenson
Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Genre: Counting Book
Theme(s): Animals, counting, addition, inclusion
Opening line/sentence:
The Panda Palace opened
At six one night.
Brief Book Summary: When Mr. Panda opened the Panda Palace, many guests came for dinner. Each animal, or set of animals that comes in to dine is a different type. First one elephant comes in, then two lions, and each time after that an additional animal comes in (three pigs, four peacocks, etc.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2--As Mr. Panda graciously greets guests arriving at his restaurant, he also invites readers to enjoy a rollicking counting rhyme. A peanut-selling elephant shows up first, then two carsick lions, three pigs (carrying their building materials and pursued by a slavering wolf), and on through assorted critters until ten chickens bring seating to capacity. When a tiny mouse asks to come in, Mr. Panda hastily makes room because, "No matter how many,/No matter how few,/There will always be room/At the Palace for you!" Unforced, funny quatrains are reinforced with hilarious illustrations full of perfect details. The party of penguins is served fish, five monkeys have bananas, the giraffes (who had been painting rooftops) nibble leaves and twigs, peacocks dine on snails. And, as the guests depart carrying doggie bags, and the alligator waiters sponge tables, readers will almost be able to hear Mr. Panda say, "Whew!" as he hangs the closed sign. Perfect company for Hogrogian's Always Room for One More (Holt, 1965) and De Regniers's May I Bring a Friend (Atheneum, 1964).
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
In a rhyming, counting story, Panda's restaurant attracts an interesting assortment of patrons, from one elephant to two lions and on to a mother hen and her nine chicks. When one tiny mouse arrives, Panda finds a way to add this last little guest to the other fifty-five, and everyone happily feasts on dinner at the Panda Palace.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both reviews mention that this story is not only counting, but rhyming as well. Though the second one didn't go into much detail, it still managed to mention the mouse that got included in the end. The first review by the School Library Journal makes some great connections to the animals and the foods that they eat.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The text in the story is very subtle in its counting aspect. It is the illustrator that incorporated the adding of animals that children will want to count and recount. She also added concepts of animals that the children would know (three little pigs?).
Consideration of Instructional Application: This book can be used to teach students about inclusion. Teachers can also have children act the story out with objects so students can visualize how much counting can add up. It can even be a great introduction to basic addition.
Author: Stephanie Calmenson
Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Genre: Counting Book
Theme(s): Animals, counting, addition, inclusion
Opening line/sentence:
The Panda Palace opened
At six one night.
Brief Book Summary: When Mr. Panda opened the Panda Palace, many guests came for dinner. Each animal, or set of animals that comes in to dine is a different type. First one elephant comes in, then two lions, and each time after that an additional animal comes in (three pigs, four peacocks, etc.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2--As Mr. Panda graciously greets guests arriving at his restaurant, he also invites readers to enjoy a rollicking counting rhyme. A peanut-selling elephant shows up first, then two carsick lions, three pigs (carrying their building materials and pursued by a slavering wolf), and on through assorted critters until ten chickens bring seating to capacity. When a tiny mouse asks to come in, Mr. Panda hastily makes room because, "No matter how many,/No matter how few,/There will always be room/At the Palace for you!" Unforced, funny quatrains are reinforced with hilarious illustrations full of perfect details. The party of penguins is served fish, five monkeys have bananas, the giraffes (who had been painting rooftops) nibble leaves and twigs, peacocks dine on snails. And, as the guests depart carrying doggie bags, and the alligator waiters sponge tables, readers will almost be able to hear Mr. Panda say, "Whew!" as he hangs the closed sign. Perfect company for Hogrogian's Always Room for One More (Holt, 1965) and De Regniers's May I Bring a Friend (Atheneum, 1964).
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
In a rhyming, counting story, Panda's restaurant attracts an interesting assortment of patrons, from one elephant to two lions and on to a mother hen and her nine chicks. When one tiny mouse arrives, Panda finds a way to add this last little guest to the other fifty-five, and everyone happily feasts on dinner at the Panda Palace.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both reviews mention that this story is not only counting, but rhyming as well. Though the second one didn't go into much detail, it still managed to mention the mouse that got included in the end. The first review by the School Library Journal makes some great connections to the animals and the foods that they eat.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The text in the story is very subtle in its counting aspect. It is the illustrator that incorporated the adding of animals that children will want to count and recount. She also added concepts of animals that the children would know (three little pigs?).
Consideration of Instructional Application: This book can be used to teach students about inclusion. Teachers can also have children act the story out with objects so students can visualize how much counting can add up. It can even be a great introduction to basic addition.
March 11, 2021
This year for my birthday, I asked friends and family for their favorite book. It could be anything: chapter, non-fiction, memoir, picture, handbook.
This was my husband's pick.
It's the sweetest book, perfect for counting and also for helping kids understand to always welcome one more. There's always room for friends and food! My husband's not a huge reader, but this book is ingrained in his memory since childhood. He used to sit with his mom and read this over and over every night. He loved the animals and their crazy lives. He counts this book as an inspiration for his love for animals now as an adult too!
This was my husband's pick.
It's the sweetest book, perfect for counting and also for helping kids understand to always welcome one more. There's always room for friends and food! My husband's not a huge reader, but this book is ingrained in his memory since childhood. He used to sit with his mom and read this over and over every night. He loved the animals and their crazy lives. He counts this book as an inspiration for his love for animals now as an adult too!
April 8, 2013
Good for:
-math: teaching "one more" addition
-ELA: rhyming and poems
- good read aloud
-predictions
As a teacher of mathematics,I would use this book to teach "one more" addition. It is a simple yet engaging children's book that would best be used in a K-1st grade setting. I could have my students practice along adding one more as I read the book aloud.
-math: teaching "one more" addition
-ELA: rhyming and poems
- good read aloud
-predictions
As a teacher of mathematics,I would use this book to teach "one more" addition. It is a simple yet engaging children's book that would best be used in a K-1st grade setting. I could have my students practice along adding one more as I read the book aloud.
January 12, 2009
This is a great read for pre-K and kindergarden. A fun counting book.
November 19, 2009
Supercute book about the opening of Mr. Panda's restaurant and all his animals friends who visit. This was a big hit during storyhour.
February 26, 2011
One of my favorite picture books ever!
July 1, 2011
Don't judge. I love this book. It was my favorite book as a kid.
April 2, 2016
Nice story - always room for everyone.
June 24, 2016
What a great picture book to teach counting and fun. My son immediately asked to read it again. Five stars. Well written and fabulous illustrations.
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October 6, 2016I LOVE THIS BOOK! Favorite childhood book
September 12, 2017
Wonderful book with fun and enjoyable illustration. A great tool for teaching counting and animals in the classroom.
December 22, 2021
This book came out in 1991 and I must say I found it very annoying how literally each line starts with a capitalized letter at the beginning and sometimes throughout the story, even if it's not a new sentence. BUT I understand it's written like poetry because the lines do rhyme and I gotta say they rhyme quite well. The illustrations are alright. I like their color palette and the story was nice. I just realized it's a counting book starting from one to 10 and then one more with how many guests come into the restaurant. The panda is really sweet.
January 25, 2021
Pandas, food, restaurants, rhyming verse, what's not to love? If you love animals doing human things and having a rollicking time, then this book is for you. Mr. Panda owns a restaurant, and more and more animals come in ready to eat? Where will he put them all? How can they serve 7 hyenas and 9 bears?
January 25, 2021
A host at a busy restaurant has his work cut out for himself as each party gets incrementally larger than the last. But, in the end, there is always room for just one more. This is a great book for developing counting skills.
March 18, 2024
This was my favorite book growing up. I can't read it now, because it makes me tear up. Amazing how a simple counting book can make such an impact.
I am forcing every baby I ever know to read this book. I just can't be the one reading it, or my voice will start cracking.
I am forcing every baby I ever know to read this book. I just can't be the one reading it, or my voice will start cracking.
October 10, 2017
Picture Book.
This was a cute book to emphasize counting as the animal groups kept increasing by one each time. It also, had a good moral of including everyone and not leaving anyone out.
This was a cute book to emphasize counting as the animal groups kept increasing by one each time. It also, had a good moral of including everyone and not leaving anyone out.
February 20, 2020
At the Panda palace everyone is welcome. Each table is filled with one more guest than the last. Cute. Preschool and up
October 29, 2020
I really like this rhymes book. The rhymes and illustrations are very nice.
April 26, 2021
A nice story about a panda who opens a restaurant and the various animals that come to eat in increasing numbers.
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December 6, 2021BookTree
Both kids loved this book
Both kids loved this book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews