When I Draw a Panda - by Amy June Bates (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A girl draws an unusual panda, who comes to life and draws all sorts of whimsical things with her, from a castle to a dragon and more"--

Book Synopsis

"This amusing picture book encourages imagination and individuality." --Booklist

From the acclaimed author and illustrator of The Big Umbrella comes a delightful celebration of creativity and gumption about a girl and her panda that's Calvin and Hobbes meets If You Give a Mouse a Cookie!

Sometimes when they say to draw a perfect circle, mine turn out a little wonky.
I can draw a perfect fluffy cloud, a perfect scoop of ice cream, and a perfect flat tire.
So when I draw a panda, I keep drawing more and more not-perfect circles until I see a panda.
Then I step back and think, Does it need something else? He probably needs a hat, and then he is my panda.

When a girl draws a panda, it comes to life and helps her embrace her own creativity and unique way of seeing the world.

Review Quotes

A girl narrates as she draws on a chalkboard wall in her room. She admits that when people tell her to make a perfect circle, it comes out "a little wonky." And so, when drawing a panda, she scrawls masses of imperfect, overlapping loops until an undeniably panda-like figure emerges. Like Blackboard Bear in Martha Alexander's long-running picture-book series, Panda steps down from the chalkboard and enters the child's world. He becomes her ally in creative rebellion: "If they tell him to draw something pretty, he draws something pretty silly." His playful spirit frees her to draw more intuitively. While the front endpapers offer step-by-step instructions for eight "perfect" drawing projects, such as "the perfect circle" and "the perfect panda," the back endpapers feature the same projects overlaid with the girl's drawings. Written in a conversational tone, the narrative captures the child's satisfaction in making art her own way. The illustrations, created with colored pencil, watercolor, gouache, and pastel, express the spirit of the story beautifully. This amusing picture book encourages imagination and individuality.--Booklist "September 1, 2020"

About the Author

Amy June Bates is the author-illustrator of The Big Umbrella and The Welcome Home. She is also the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller The Leadership Journey by Doris Kearns Goodwin; Sweet Dreams and That's What I'd Do, both by singer-songwriter Jewel; Waiting for the Magic by Patricia MacLachlan; Joey: The Story of Joe Biden by Dr. Jill Biden; and many others. She has three children and lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with her husband and her devilishly handsome Labrador, Mr. Mochi.