Please, Mr. Panda (Michelle Zavala)

Please, Mr. Panda

Reviewed By: Michelle Zavala

Author & Illustrator: Steve Antony

Recommended Grade Level: Pre-School- Kindergarten

New York State Pre-K Standards Addressed

PK.CC 3a.

 Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities to 10; connect counting to cardinality. a. When counting objects, say the number names in the standard order, pairing each object with one and only one number name and each number name with one and only one object.

PK.CC4

Count to answer “how many?” questions about as many as 10 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 5 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1–10, count out that many objects

Summary

Mr. Panda has a box of 6 donuts and he offers donuts to many of his animal friends. A penguin asks for a blue and yellow donut. Another animal asks for 2 donuts and a whale asks for all of them, but none of his friends say please! It isn’t until a lemur asks “May I have a donut, please Mr. Panda?” that Mr. Panda lets the lemur have all of the donuts. It shows children not only simple numerical counting but that manners matter.

Rating

I would give this book a 5/5. I like the message it is giving about manners. I also like how someone can take this book and use it for dual purposes as I am in my lesson plan. It becomes not only a social skills book but also a book about math. The large font is easy for children to read and the thick pages allow for easy page turning. Mr. Panda’s “sour” demeanor is uncommon for a children’s book but I believe his personality is something children can find amusing.

Classroom Ideas

1  1  Work one on one with children or within a small group and provide children with laminated paper donut counters and ask them how many donuts are present. Add and subtract as necessary and let children count one at a time to see how many donuts are in front of them.

2 2       During morning meeting time have paper donut counters or have children hold larger donut cut outs and ask a variety of questions to the class. “If I ask for a pink and green donut how many donuts do I have left?” “If I have 3 donuts and Julien gives me 2 more, now how many do I have?”

     Provide children with the numerical equation on a white board/easel etc. to begin familiarity that numbers and symbols mean something. (Three donuts plus two donuts equals five donuts, 3+2=5)