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Dear Panda
Living in a new house and about to start at a new school, Florence feels sad that all her friends are a long way away. So, she decides to write a letter to the panda who lives in the zoo next door to her new house, asking him to be her friend. Happily, he obliges. Soon, when Flo is asked to stand up in front of her whole class and talk about any special friends she has, it only seems right to tell everyone about Panda, and for him to come for a visit.
It’s thanks to Panda that Flo meets Bea, a little girl who shares her love of pandas — and swimming, and hula-hooping, and all kinds of other things. A quiet, introspective story about finding the confidence to make new friends, Dear Panda plays with the boundaries of what’s real and what’s imagined, and gives readers a new way to think about finding kindred spirits.
2
Fountas & K
Reading 18
Lexile AD 680L
Common Core State
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.2,2a,2b,5,5a,5b,6
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.4,4a,4b,4c
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.1,2,3,5,6,7,10
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3,5,8
It’s thanks to Panda that Flo meets Bea, a little girl who shares her love of pandas — and swimming, and hula-hooping, and all kinds of other things. A quiet, introspective story about finding the confidence to make new friends, Dear Panda plays with the boundaries of what’s real and what’s imagined, and gives readers a new way to think about finding kindred spirits.
2
Fountas & K
Reading 18
Lexile AD 680L
Common Core State
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.2,2a,2b,5,5a,5b,6
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.4,4a,4b,4c
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.1,2,3,5,6,7,10
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3,5,8
32 pages, Hardcover
Published August 12, 2014
1 person is currently reading
51 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 28, 2022
A sweet story with nice lessons about friendship. When we take a chance and share something of ourselves, we discover new friends with common interests. Flo faces her fears and finds her new friend through a shared love of pandas. As a panda lover, I loved the details of the panda clothing, backpack, bedspread, and other panda items in the illustrations.
November 22, 2019
Moving and going to a new school is one of those difficult things for many children. The lesson over shadows the story towards the end, but hey, it's about a girl and her panda friend. I want a panda friend, too.
Library copy
Library copy
November 21, 2022
A little girl who loves pandas has moved to a new place, and makes friends with the panda who lives in the zoo by her house. They exchange letters, and then he hangs around outside of her school on her first day to make her feel more comfortable The other children "erupt into raucous laughter" when she says that her best friend is a panda, but then they see for themselves, and she makes friends with another panda-loving girl.
I thought it was a cute story, and since I love pandas, I adored it. I also greatly appreciated the vocabulary words in the story, especially since some of the lines sound like how I would express things. I jokingly wondered if time travel was real and I wrote this book in the future, because it seems exactly like the kind of picture book I would write.
I thought it was a cute story, and since I love pandas, I adored it. I also greatly appreciated the vocabulary words in the story, especially since some of the lines sound like how I would express things. I jokingly wondered if time travel was real and I wrote this book in the future, because it seems exactly like the kind of picture book I would write.
September 24, 2014
A really cute story about a panda from the neighboring zoo reassuring a young girl. The story doesn't always make sense, but the basic lesson is sound, even if most kids don't have a panda handy to help them out.
My only quibble with the book is that the most successful piece of advice can be taken as "bring some cool to school and people will like you," but I think it was really intended as, "meet everybody, and you'll find a friend among them. It's the mechanics of meeting everyone that confuse the issue.
My only quibble with the book is that the most successful piece of advice can be taken as "bring some cool to school and people will like you," but I think it was really intended as, "meet everybody, and you'll find a friend among them. It's the mechanics of meeting everyone that confuse the issue.
August 23, 2014
This is a cute story about friendship - one that at first glance feels a bit overdramatized, but after pondering it for a few minutes, it is clear that there is a deeper message involved in the story. It is a great story to read to children who are just beginning in a new school and are worried about making friends. Lots of fun and great illustrations.
August 20, 2014
Friendship at its finest!
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January 3, 2021My backstory:
This is my first book in 2021. I choose this because I am planning to give this to Kiandra on her birthday this year. But, before this belongs to her, I need to read it. Even though she will not understand it until she goes to school and learns the language in the future.
The book story:
Just like in the Big Bang Theory's episode, children learn something from books. This book shows how a little girl was nervous about starting in the new school. The nervous feeling and the worry are told to be the normal feeling of people even children when they are in new places.
This is my first book in 2021. I choose this because I am planning to give this to Kiandra on her birthday this year. But, before this belongs to her, I need to read it. Even though she will not understand it until she goes to school and learns the language in the future.
The book story:
Just like in the Big Bang Theory's episode, children learn something from books. This book shows how a little girl was nervous about starting in the new school. The nervous feeling and the worry are told to be the normal feeling of people even children when they are in new places.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2018
This is a sweet book about a little girl who is nervous about her first day of school. There is a leap of faith that the reader has to make with the author about the panda bear who just happens to live next door at the zoo and is somehow able to freely play with this little girl. If you're able to make that leap, however, it has a nice message with darling illustrations.
April 24, 2019
When Florence receives a letter from the school, being a new student, she gets nervous about her assignment. She starts a pen pal relationship with the Panda at the zoo next door, and before she realizes it her and Panda are good friends, and he helps her with her first day of school.
November 2, 2020
This is an adorable picture book, about friendship and making new friends. It also has letter writing as a big part of the story, since the little girl, Florence, writes letters to the Panda next door.
November 16, 2017
teach kid write letter
April 20, 2018
My son who likes panda very much love the illustrations of this book. It has such a sweet story about a panda accompanying a little girl until she can make friends on her own.
March 5, 2019
Fun intro to pen pals
October 3, 2020
Excellent book about starting at a new school and making friends!
October 22, 2020
Sweet and I loved Panda hula hooping.
June 1, 2021
Aarvik liked the idea of having panda as a friend and adored this book for a bit.
May 5, 2023
In this delightful picture book Panda helps his new friend find a friend.
FIVE STARS, smiling.
FIVE STARS, smiling.
February 14, 2017
What did I just read? While I appreciate a story about a girl feeling worried about starting a new school and making friends, the use of a panda that lives in the zoo next door doesn't make sense to me.
Florence writes to the panda she watches from the bedroom of her new house. The panda becomes her friend and assures her she can make new friends. Panda even comes to school to help facilitate Flo's attempt to make new friends.
It just seemed weird to me. I didn't get it.
Florence writes to the panda she watches from the bedroom of her new house. The panda becomes her friend and assures her she can make new friends. Panda even comes to school to help facilitate Flo's attempt to make new friends.
It just seemed weird to me. I didn't get it.
August 12, 2014
Flo is nervous about going to a new school and making friends. She decides to write a letter to Panda, her new neighbor. The two of them trade a few letters and strike up a beautiful friendship that involves a lot of playing outside. When Flo starts school, she introduces herself and then shows her best friend, Panda, on the playground. The other kids are amazed and impressed and Flo and Bea bond over their affection for pandas.
A cute, sweet story. For educators looking for picture books featuring letters, this is a fine choice that includes several simple letters that are part of a longer, more traditional narrative.
A cute, sweet story. For educators looking for picture books featuring letters, this is a fine choice that includes several simple letters that are part of a longer, more traditional narrative.
July 9, 2015
Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Emotions: Being shy
Familiar Experience: New Kid in town
Florence is happy with her new surroundings but becomes nervous when she must introduce herself in front of her classroom. Flo makes friends with a Panda and he gives Flo instant celebrity status as her friend, causing her to meet up with another shy girl. The semantics of the plot are all garbled but this little girl finds a friend in the end. Replicating her success might be a bit hard for listeners/readers.
Emotions: Being shy
Familiar Experience: New Kid in town
Florence is happy with her new surroundings but becomes nervous when she must introduce herself in front of her classroom. Flo makes friends with a Panda and he gives Flo instant celebrity status as her friend, causing her to meet up with another shy girl. The semantics of the plot are all garbled but this little girl finds a friend in the end. Replicating her success might be a bit hard for listeners/readers.
August 28, 2014
Flo makes a panda friend who helps her with the process of introducing herself to her new class and making friends with her classmates. Very cute, and good for friend storytime or back to school storytime.
September 27, 2014
This is a sweet book about first day of school jitters. Flo befriends a Panda and then finds a friend at school.
I like this book but feel it is better suited to a one-on-one read than a group storytime.
I like this book but feel it is better suited to a one-on-one read than a group storytime.
January 9, 2015
Flo is nervous about attending new school, her new best friend and neighbor Panda come to the rescue. The next to last pic of Panda seems to say: my work here is done. Cute illustrations, panda fans will love it.
August 21, 2015
One of the first sentences of the book made my daughter's eyes open wide as she recently asked the same about going to kindergarten: "What if I don't make any new friends?" Flo makes an amazing new friend. This was a cute story!
August 12, 2014
Sweet story about a young girl starting a new school with all the fears and doubts. How the Panda helps her overcome.
September 19, 2014
Good friendship story about student in anew school. British author now CCBA eligible.
September 26, 2014
Moving? New Schools? Nervous about making friends? This book has got you covered. Plus it has a panda. A panda pen pal. What more could you want/need?
November 21, 2014
Really cute book about a friendship made through writing letters helps a little girl get through her first day at a new school
March 7, 2015
Nice story about a girl worried about making new friends and the zoo panda who helps her.
March 11, 2015
Awww, this was such a super sweet story about Florence who is new to her school and enlists the aid of a panda to help her find some new friends. Loved this!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews