Please Mr Panda
Steve Antony
Hodder Children’s Books
“Would you like a doughnut?” the chunky panda asks a penguin on the opening spread of Steve Antony’s third picture book. Less than impressed by the penguin’s impolite  response, he changes his mind and moves on, offering his tray of delicious-looking, colourful treats to several other animals including one who has the enormous cheek – (but then it is a whale) to retort, “I want them all! Then bring me some more.” Unsurprisingly none of the answers meet with his approval and the offer is hastily withdrawn. It’s not until the resolute panda encounters lemur that he receives a polite answer with that all -important p-word included. So pleased is Mr Panda on hearing the elusive word being uttered (he even gets a “Thank you very much!”) that he gives the charming creature the whole box with the throwaway remark, “You’re welcome. I don’t like doughnuts.” A wonderfully stylish and witty lesson in basic manners: The sight of that solemn-faced panda sporting a tiny paper hat bearing the single word Doughnuts and remaining  impassive in the face of rudeness, is enormously endearing. With such artistry I’m sure Mr P. will quickly become a firm favourite with all who have dealings with young children as well as the book’s intended audience themselves. The latter will, I suspect feel a sense of anticipatory delight at every turn of the page, until that all-important, topsy-turvy panda/lemur encounter. With its deliciously droll illustrations, cleverly patterned text, inviting layout and memorable words young readers will want to try reading it for themselves after sharing it with an adult a couple of times. Mr P. will undoubtedly provide a third winner for Mr A.

Black and White
Dahlov Ipcar
Flying Eye Books
Said to have been inspired by the US civil rights movement, this stylish book was originally published in the early 60s and is now reissued by a British publisher whose hallmarks are design and production of the highest quality. The story itself, tells of two dogs, one black, the other white that play together by day and part at night to return to separate homes to sleep and dream. It is their dreams that Ipcar explores in gentle rhythmic rhyme and glorious visuals, as the black dog’s dream takes him off to a dark African jungle. A place populated by elephants, monkeys and fierce panthers, where zebras and antelopes graze and ‘Black-and-white butterflies everywhere/Fill the flower-scented air.’ The little white dog meanwhile is transported to the snowy, icy arctic. There ‘On the shore stand polar bears, / While arctic foxes chase arctic hares.’ and seals and great whales swim in the chilly waters below which black-and-white fishes glide, walruses rest on the ice-floes and sea birds nest on the rocks. Come morning, the canine pals reunite to play together side-by-side once again and to recount to one another the details of their dream-world travels. Stylish retro, yet timeless illustrations, grace every page demonstrating just how perfectly Ipcar balances form and colour. Use your local bookshop:  Don’t forget February 14th