Panda longs to play with Pandora next door, but he's too shy. Pandora longs to say "Hello, Panda!" but she's much too shy, too. Will these two shy pandas ever muster up the courage to speak to each other?
"Pandora and Panda live next door to each other and haven't even met! They are too shy to ask each other to play ball, to teeter-totter, to have a snowball fight, or just say hi. When days go by without spying each other through the fence, they each start worrying whether the other is okay. Determined to find out, they each rush out to knock on the other's door and bang into each other in their rushing. Panda stories are much sought after and this sweet one will help fill the gap." --BayViews
--Journal
"When little ones are very timid, it can take some time to form a friendship.
Panda lives at Number 1 Bamboo Gardens, right next door to Pandora at Number 2. He longs to say, 'Please come over and play!' but for some reason, whenever he sees her, he runs away instead. Next door, Pandora isn't having much fun either. She can't seesaw by herself, and throwing a ball to nobody makes her sad. Then, one winter's day, it starts to snow. Panda rushes outside to make some snowballs, which he throws over the fence to Number 2. When Pandora doesn't respond, Panda gets worried. What if she feels poorly or has gone away? In truth, she's been inside the whole time, but she has the same worry about Panda. 'Two very worried pandas / Wondered if they might / Be brave enough to go next door / And say, 'Are you all right?' ' They open their doors to check, colliding midway. An instant bond is formed. Together Panda and Pandora build a snowman, bounce up and down on the seesaw, dance on their ice skates and read storybooks. Best of all, they promise to be friends '[f]orever and ever.'
Pandas make adorable stand-ins for little children, as Varley's friendly watercolor illustrations attest.
Sweet tonic for skittish young listeners." --
Kirkus Reviews--Journal
"It's hard having the perfect playmate next door when you are too shy to strike up a conversation. This is the predicament Panda and Pandora find themselves in, as they each struggle to overcome their hesitancy and make the first move. In rhyming text that is sometimes as tentative as the pandas, the story unfolds from longing looks to concern when each fears the other is gone to a happy accident that finally brings them together. These are pandas who have not chosen their own company over that of a playmate, which stresses the natural urge toward companionship. The illustrations provide just the right amount of bashful cuteness to make the reader empathize with the pandas and cheer for their success. Readers who are shy themselves will appreciate the pace at which the story unfolds, and will take heart that mustering up the courage to talk is an act of bravery." ―Booklist Online
--Website
"Two pandas live next door to each other, with a fence between them. Panda would love to meet his neighbor, but he's too shy. Likewise, Pandora is too timid to make the first move. Winter comes, snow covers everything, and both of them stay indoors. When they start to realize that they haven't seen each other for quite a while, they work up the nerve to go outside and look for the other, colliding between their houses. 'Two little pandas, /Close together, /Agreed to be friends./Forever and ever.' The illustrations are done in watercolor and ink; they show the change of season well, and a couple of scenes include a parent watching from the window. This sweet story could give a gentle push to shy youngsters." --School Library Journal
--Journal
