"I wondered how many people there were in the world who suffered, and continued to suffer, because they could not break out from their own web of shyness and reserve," Daphne du Maurier wrote in Rebecca. This is the predicament experienced by two adorable pandas who want to be friends but are unable to reach out to each other. Panda lives next door to Pandora and longs to play with her. She, on the other hand, needs a partner to ride the other side of the seesaw with her, to bounce balls, or to race the truck on the track.
Both pandas are miserable in the loneliness created by their inability to say hello. When it snows, Panda makes a snowball and throws it over the fence but Pandora is not there. After not seeing each other for a while, they both decide to go next door to make sure the other is all right. They end up colliding in the middle! They are so happy to see each other that they start playing, bouncing up and down on the seesaw, skating, and dancing.
Two Shy Pandas is a delight from start to finish — especially the cute illustrations by Susan Varley. It is geared for children from ages 4 to 8. Its message is loud and clear: follow you heart and express your feelings freely to those you really care about. Friendship can be easier than you ever thought it would be.
