  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 08/01/2013 PreS-Gr 1—In this charming story that celebrates friendship and inclusion, Xander wants to throw a party, but since he's the zoo's only panda, he invites all of the bears. Then Koala tells him that she's a marsupial, not a bear. After much thoughtful bamboo-nibbling, Xander opens his party to all mammals. But Rhino won't come without his bird, and then the reptiles request an invitation, and the little panda doesn't know what to do. A new friend pitches in, and the party goes "from grand to even grander" as the whole zoo is invited. As a last surprise, a new panda, Zhu Zi, arrives to complete the celebration, "What a party! What a ball! Lots of new friends, tall and small!" The ink and watercolor illustrations add dashes of personality to the animals-the rhino scowls as his bird cheerfully waves from atop his horn-and touches of humor, as when Xander blends in with a crowd of penguins. The cartoonlike animals have wonderfully expressive faces, so even the wordless pages convey the panda's feelings. The upbeat, mostly rhyming text provides a surprising amount of information about animal families and species without tripping up the pace. The author's note gives information that expands on facts mentioned in the book, like the symbiotic relationship between the oxpecker and the rhino. Perfect for young animal lovers and a great read-aloud for storytime.—Marian McLeod, Darien Library, CT - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 08/01/2013 Xander the panda has a birthday coming up, and he wants to throw a “dandy whoop-de-do!” to mark the occasion. Problem: he is the only panda at the zoo, and one does not a party make. So he decides to invite Black Bear, Brown Bear, both the Polars, Grizzly, and Koala. But when Koala informs him that she is actually a marsupial, thank you very much, Xander expands the invite list to include all mammals. Of course then a bird wants in, then a gator—and soon everyone is invited. When a panda from China arrives to live at the zoo, well, she is just the icing on the birthday party cake. Newbery Medalist Park’s playful rhyming text introduces young kids to different species of animals, further detailed in an author’s note, which also discusses China’s panda research centers and the fact that, until fairly recently, the black-and-white bears were on the verge of extinction. Phelan’s loose watercolor illustrations brim with energy and perfectly capture each of Xander’s sweet, varied facial expressions. Share this story about the importance of inclusion with birthday kids and those fond of a trip to the zoo. - Copyright 2013 Booklist. Loading...
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