Chee-Kee: A Panda in Bearland

by Sujean Rim (Artist)

Chee-Kee, a young panda, moves with his parents to a new land of opportunity. Just when he's resigned to never fit in, Chee-Kee finds a way to use his own experience and ingenuity to save the day and show that he's one of a kind in all the best ways.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Fiction, Family

40 pages, Hardcover

First published February 7, 2017

Reviews

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't miss the Author's Note!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a read good if your'e looking for a sweet story about immigrants or the new "kid in town" trying to fit in.

[JoyAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so refreshing to read this book! I just happened to grab it off a shelve to check out from the library and read to my toddler. With all of this negativity about immigrants, refugees, etc., it was so nice to read a new children's book that shows a small snippet of an immigrant's experiences in coming to a new, unfamiliar place and to see the other bears welcome them. Kids need to be exposed to books like this one especially in today's climate. It gets great messages across but certainly wouldn't be overly blatant or heavy handed from a child's perspective. Could lead to great discussions as well.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chee-Kee is fresh, clear and true. In simple words and drawings, we follow the Loo family of Pandas who arrive at Bearland, looking and living very differently from the bears of Bearland. Chee-Kee, the young son, notices the differences and feels uncomfortable. He tries to change to be less noticeable, but that doesn’t work. He stays alone, until one day a soccer ball gets stuck in a tree. Immediately Chee-Kee begins fashioning a bamboo pole, vaulting up to knock down the ball. Everyone cheers and from then on, the Loo family members fit in just fine and the bears take on new activities brought over by the Loo family.

While this story could be ‘cheesy’, it isn’t. The drawings and story support each other to make it work. The pole vaulting gives a nod to the author’s father who played in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics. There is a richness to the story that seems to come from living through this kind of experience. Cheers to author/illustrator Sujean Rim for crafting this wonderful story.

[Rachel Greening · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Loo family of panda’s move to beartown, where “all the citizens are special bears indeed”, but just different from Chee-kee and his family. Its a story of the mutual learning of cultures and accepting the differences of others as an asset to the greater community. This is a wonderful story to introduce the idea of migration and immigration. I love how they are all bears – the panda a different variety of bear – the same way the world is made up of all humans but from various backgrounds and cultures. In the story, there is a moment where the family is lightly mocked, however Rim so wonderfully has Mrs. Loo take it in stride, finding a mature and care-free response. There is an author’s note included about her feelings and experience growing up as a new citizen in the United States. I loved how simply, clearly, and lightly the message was communicated for the young reader.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chee-Kee, a Panda Bear, and his family move to a new country that is filled with all kinds of bears, but no other panda bears. Despite the excitement at moving to a new place, Chee-Kee feels like he will never fit in or learn everything he needs to know that all of the other bears know. His family gets picked on and treated differently, until Chee-Kee uses the skills he knows to save the day. It is a subtle introduction to immigration for children by using bears as conduits for the feelings that immigrants often have.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Panda family moves to Bearland, Chee-Kee feels different and out of place. The other bears are welcoming and friendly but life is different for the young panda of the Loo family. He tries to fit in but when a soccer ball gets stuck in a tree, it's Chee-Kee and some bamboo who come to the rescue. Obvious and powerful lessons about being welcoming, what it feels like to be different, and how those with different experiences contribute to society will be easy for young readers to grasp with this charming picture book.

Please somebody send this book to Donald Trump.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a panda on the cover of Chee-Kee: A Panda in Bearland so obviously, I picked it up because, c'mon, who doesn't love pandas?

This is a brief tale about immigration about the Loo panda family who emigrates to an island of bears. Their cultural values and habits, even what they eat, are different and unusually especially to the youngest Loo family member, Chee-Kee, who has a hard time adjusting to his new country. When he assists a group of bears playing a game with a skill only a panda knows how to wield, he is praised by his new bear brethren.

I don't understand how Chee-Kee helping a bunch of bears suddenly makes him acceptable in this new culture. The act is vague and not well thought out.

What about pointing out that a vital skill in assimilating to a new country is adaptation? Learning new skills, speaking with your new neighbors and education are just one of the many steps we all needed to take in order to adapt, assimilate and survive in a new home.

Don't dumb down a helpful lesson on the difficulties of immigration to children because they aren't stupid. They're resilient; they'll understand and they'll adapt.

[Angie Quantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and clever story of a Panda and his family who have to relocate to a new land - Bearland. This is the perfect book to share with young readers who are transitioning to a new location - and the ones who already live in the new place and need to see some of the struggles of adapting. Great timing for this book!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The panda family including their child, Chee-Kee, move to Bearland. Chee-Kee struggles to fit in as he's different from the other bears. When he gets the other kids soccer ball down from the top of a tree, they welcome him. He also discovers that though he is different in some ways, he's alike in others.
The illustrations are simple and fun to see what's happening.

[Peyton Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book that introduces the idea of immigrants and moving somewhere new. I would love to use this book in the classroom in a read-aloud or on my shelf for SSR to promote including others and being welcoming. All students will be able to relate to feeling out of place, so this book would be excellent to understand others' points of view.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended for discussions on immigrants, empathy and diversity. Great illustrations. Can't wait to see what Sujean Rim comes up with next. She is certainly setting herself up as a great illustrators with this foray into meaningful picture books.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, sweet immigration story about panda bears who move to bearland. Little Chee-Kee Loo doesn't understand much about this new place and feels very different and out of place at first, but finally finds a way to fit in.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

About trying to fit in after moving to a new place.

The new family is a family of panda bears and the rest of the Bearland denizens are typical North American bears, so there are lots of differences in appearance and customs.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story to share with children weather they are like the other bears, welcoming someone from another country, or like the main character Chee-kee, who is coming to a new country and feels so out of place.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely watercolour illustrations, play with negative / positive space, design of panda and other bears nice contrast. Story about immigration and moving to another country + experiencing different culture

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chee-Kee the panda bear moves to Bearland and feels out of place because he doesn't understand everything and he looks different.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like the concept, but like prose fell flat for me.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

With my panda obsession, I really wanted to like this far more than I actually did....

[Mary Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps best to have conversations with young children about immigration and feelings of difference.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A unique take on an immigrant story using bears.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, basic story on moving to a new place, being different, trying to fit in.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grade 6 loved it and so did I. Illustrations are appealing. Students voiced many messages about being true to self and not judging people.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about accepting those who are different from you. A sweet story.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author's note helps understand how this book could fit in with a unit on immigration or fitting in.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be the perfect thing to give to any child that arrives in the US. It is all about a bear coming to a new place and trying to find his/her own place in the world.

[Debbie O’Hare · Rating 5 out of 5]

The theme of this book is to welcome all new people into our lives.

[Molly]

Book about a young bear that doesn't fit in. (Immigration story) Pre-K and K

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just okay, but Kait adored the pandas.

[Ayren Daniels]

This book discusses how being different is not a bad thing. I think that it is important to have these conversations with students because all of us are different in some way or another.