Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What do You See?

Bill Martin Jr. (2003), 14 pages

Illustrated by Eric Carle

Audience: babies

Format: board book

Two great children’s authors Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle have come together to create a very popular series of “what do you see” books. These books are great fun for babies. Filled with repetitious and cumulative text makes this an easy read and especially enjoyed by babies who follow along and anticipate the next lines. This popular series began with Martin’s Brown, Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? which teaches children about colors and animals. All of these books are unique in the animals they represent however Panda Bear, Panda Bear What Do You See? features all endangered animals. Examples include water buffalo, spider monkey, green sea turtle, macaroni penguin, and the red wolf. Carle’s illustrations are done in his signature collage-style with bold colors and primitive perspective capturing the essence of each animal. At the end of the book, children are treated to a re-cap of all the animals which effectively works to practice all that they’ve learned. This series translates well to a board book format, which is more accessible for babies.

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: My Big Animal Book by Roger Priddy or My Very First Book of Animal Sounds by Eric Carle

Other books by this author: The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael R. Sampson, A Beasty Story, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, The Maestro Plays, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?