ALA Booklist (Mon Nov 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

As the sun peeks over distant mountains, an unseen narrator addresses a plump little cub, "Good morning, Panda. What are we going to do today?" The narrator then suggests building an ice castle, only Panda is distracted by a bright red butterfly fluttering over the icy-lavender expanse of snow. After a brief chase, the butterfly lands on Panda's outstretched paw, a moment wordlessly captured in a full-page illustration aglow with Panda's wonder at the creature's vibrant, petal-delicate wings. The spell is broken when the butterfly resumes its flight up a steep-sloped mountain, leaving Panda scrambling to follow. Using simple sentences, the narrator offers comfort and reassurance after each of Panda's failed attempts ("Oh, Panda"), until finally offering the bear some concrete help. Derby, whose illustrations for Deborah Underwood's Outside In (2020) received a Caldecott Honor, crafts a relatable tale of ingenuity and perseverance. Her soft-edged, wobbly-lined artwork, rendered in watercolors and gouache, gives the story a warmth despite the snowy landscape, and kids will enjoy seeing the little protagonist come out on top (of the world).

Kirkus Reviews

A great big mountain proves no match for one stubborn little panda.An intrusive narrator asks Panda about the day's plans, but our hero is besotted with a magnificent magenta butterfly. Panda follows the flitting insect steadily until it flies up the sides of a steep mountain. While the narrator tries to guide Panda back to other activities, the determined bear attempts the climb. After an initial failure ("you're still a bit too small"), Panda tries again, using sap and branches to get a hold. Nothing works. Only when the narrator accedes to the situation and offers pine-cone snowshoes does Panda reach the summit, and both animal and readers are treated to a breathtaking sight. Children should have no difficulty identifying with the single-minded hero, who gives off some serious Winnie-the-Pooh vibes, while the sometimes-patronizing narrator offers vague parental discouragements. Of course, the real star of the show is the sumptuous watercolor art, infused with deep violets and evocative peaches. In that final image of ice, sunset skies, and flittering butterflies, the book's earlier subdued colors contrast effectively. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Melding lovely art with toddlerlike determination, this amalgamation of ice castles and vibrant butterflies soars. (Picture book. 3-6)

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

“Good morning, Panda. What are we going to do today?” asks this picture book’s slightly overbearing narrator before suggesting their own idea: “Should we build an ice castle? With tiny circle windows to look out over all the land?” But Panda, who’s surrounded by a landscape of radiant ice and velvety snow rendered in purple-hued watercolor and gouache, has a plan that’s not on that agenda. Tantalized by a fluttering pink and gold butterfly that heads up a tall, slippery mountain, the little bear is determined to assert its free will and follow the insect to the top. “Oh, Panda,” the exasperated-sounding narrator sighs after the fluffy critter’s mountain-scaling efforts end in setbacks. Seeing how forlorn Panda has become, the voice finally stops deflecting the bear and offers genuine help in the form of pinecone snowshoes, which, along with Panda’s tenacity and ingenuity, result in a successful ascension, a visually revelatory vista, and an appreciative and awestruck reprisal: “Oh, Panda.” Tackling persistence and much more, this wryly empathic story from Derby (Blurp’s Book of Manners) thoughtfully models an instance of learning to respect autonomy and offer meaningful support. Ages 2–5. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. (Sept.)