100 Facts about Pandas by David O’Doherty, Claudia O’Doherty, Mike Ahern
My rating: 5/5 cats
jasmine beat me to the reviewing of this book (shakes fist at sky) but i love this book so much, i am still going to put in my two cents. jasmine did such a good job with the picture-part of reviewing that i will stick with just the facts.
what i learned from this book:
1) pandas are afraid of fish and butterflies.
2) a group of pandas is known as a cupboard
3) pandas have had a significant impact on popular music, with ‘cecilia’ by simon and garfunkel, ‘proud mary’ by creedence clearwater revival and ‘daniel’ by elton john all being named after pandas the songwriters had encountered. prince is rumoured to have said that the song ‘purple rain’ is not inspired by one panda in particular, but rather the mixed emotions pandas give him as a species in general
4) pandas are globally banned from entering a library
5) panda tears are the only natural antidote to the venom of the brazilian wandering spider.
6) the original line-up of the cure features a panda on bass and keyboards (this is actually my favorite picture, so too bad this is a purely factual review.)
and so much more.
we have this table at work where we put a bunch of the fun silly wacky books that come in. and sometimes i come across books elsewhere and i think, “man, that book is auditioning to be on that table, but it is not at all clever or funny” and i feel bad for the book. and if i watched american idol, i am sure i could make a reference here that would knock your socks off, but alas.
this book is, i think, genuinely funny in its absurdity, and the pictures are wonderful. the panda bear in the waterfall may be the best photograph ever taken. taken, not manipulated—it is all real and my hands are over my ears lalalallaalllaala.
great book, many chuckles, but why you gotta be so racist, book?? where are all my red pandas??
okay maybe one picture:
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