Panda Whispers

I purchased 'Panda Whispers' for my 20 month old grandson who loves books and having them read to him. His parents tell me that the book is beautiful and that Owen loves the stories. It is an excellent book for bedtime.

This spoken bedtime lullaby begins with father in a rocker, daughter on his lap, reading "Panda Whispers." On her bed are stuffed animals (who will later appear in the story) also engrossed in the nighttime tale. Gentle four-line verses depict each animal and its offspring in their natural environment settling down for sleep, with each parent whispering a happy thought for dreaming. Somber colors and animals with closed eyes help impart the message that sleeping time should be gentle, safe, comforting and enjoyable. The story comes round to closing with daughter asleep on father's lap, the stuffed animals asleep on the bed, but panda wide awake in the girl's arms (father is gazing out the window). The very last page shows a contented little girl asleep in bed, clutching her sleeping panda. Cute!

A small girl sits on her father's lap by an open window overlooking the ocean. We know the window is open, because the curtain is stirring. Her stuffed animals at the foot of her bed seem to be listening to the story he reads. Each double-page spread features the real animal of which the toy is a copy. Each illustration depicts an animal parent with sleepy offspring. A gentle poem captures the essence of the moments before sleep with each animal parent whispering an appropriate thought to its young. We return to father's arms at the ending, with all of the stuffed toys as an appealing subplot. The child, now asleep, is put in her bed. The artist is a gifted nature painter. With interesting perspectives and soft, touchable-looking animals (with the exception of the mama alligator), this is a first-rate bedtime story blending excellent text with enchanting illustrations expressing parental care.