Book review: I’ll Wait, Mr Panda by Steve Antony
My children are grown up now but I’m a pushover when it comes to picture books.
Steve Antony’s work is the very best of the genre so when his latest children’s book dropped through the letterbox I grabbed it with both hands and read it in a trice.
The good news is that the author of The Queen’s Hat and The Queen’s Handbag has done it again. I’ll Wait, Mr Panda is exquisitely illustrated, fun to read and has a wise message at its heart.
Actually, it’s a message that I should heed myself because I have the patience of a gnat and am terrible at waiting for anything.
I’ll Wait, Mr Panda is a follow-up to Please Mr Panda and tells the story of a panda who keeps being pestered by a bunch of grumpy and very impatient monochrome animals as he whisks up a culinary surprise. Only one creature is patient enough to stick around and wait – but will his persistence be rewarded?
What I love about this series is that the books have a simple and very pertinent message at their heart but they’re funny and enchanting to look at too. Steve says that he aims to create picture books that make children laugh and are slightly “off the wall.” Once again, he’s succeeded in both quests.
I’ll Wait, Mr Panda by Steve Antony (Hodder Children’s Books, £11.99)