School Library Journal (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Toddler-PreS Pip is a young panda who wonders when he will grow bigger and change like the world around him. His mother lovingly explains that in many ways he has already grown and changed just as the trees and flowers have. Even Birdy, his stuffed animal, was once shiny and new. Pip's paw prints used to be much smaller, his special blanket covered all of him, and he used to fit snugly in his mother's arms. She tells him that no matter how big he gets or how he changes, her love for him will grow as well. This is a sweet story for parents to share with their young children. The theme is straightforward and told in rhyme. The book conveys a similar message to Sam McBratney's Guess How Much I Love You , and the engaging artwork greatly enhances and complements the story. The pen and paint illustrations have a soft tone and will give readers a warm feeling. VERDICT A sweet addition for preschool collections. Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA

ALA Booklist (Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Pip, a young panda who loves his world, his stuffed owl, and his mama, only has one question: "When will I be big?" His wise mama points out the slow changes in the natural world, explaining how they parallel changes in Pip's life ("Once, this tree was smaller too"). The text moves from Pip's question to Mama's response in a sweet rhyme, and the simplicity of the text is mirrored in the simplicity of the illustrations. The focus is on the two comfortably round pandas, and the natural world is a delicate wash in the background, just a suggestion of bamboo, a whisper of pine branches. The black-and-white pandas stand out against the soft green and brown of the background. Mama and Pip often mimic each other's actions, and the special nature of their relationship is emphasized in the final line: as Pip has grown bigger, so has Mama's love. Pair with Sam McBratney's classic Guess How Much I Love You (1995) for another mother's loving testimony.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In response to the question -When will I be big?- a mother panda reveals just how far her child has come. Working in what looks to be watercolor and pencil, Australian author-illustrator Pignataro (Agatha) creates delicately ethereal landscapes for the pandas to traverse-forests dense with pine and bamboo, snowy hillscapes-while showcasing a playful tenderness in their explorations and interactions.

Kirkus Reviews

A mother's gently rhyming answer to her child's "when will I be big?" The roly-poly panda cub's mother's reply is less an answer than a celebration of how much Pip has already grown as the seasons have changed. "Once this tree was smaller too. // And the stars above were just a few…. // Birdy was all bright and new / and Blankie covered all of you." The cub's paw prints were tiny in the snow, flowers bloomed, and pine cones rained down. The watercolor illustrations have a bit of an Asian flavor—the petals are cherry blossoms, the boats on the water look like sampans, and there are snow-covered mountains and Eastern lanterns. But while clearly mother and child, the pandas' emotional expressions are subtle instead of obvious, making the final line rather thin: "Like all these things and just like you… // my love for you has grown bigger too." Also, the vignettes picturing the growth of an evergreen show it progressing from less than a foot in height to more than 5 feet tall in the little time that has passed since the panda's birth. Similarly, the line about stars being just a few does not take into account astronomical reality. Skip. (Picture book. 3-6)