Florence is a bit overwhelmed after moving to a new home and having to start over in a new school. Imagine her shock when she receives a note from a teacher asking her to stand up in front of the class and tell them about herself, such as her favorite food and game, and, the hardest, any special friends she has.
Florence is most excited about the fact that her new house is right next to the zoo. And a panda lives there. She decides to write him a letter asking whether he would like to be her friend. He agrees and soon they are playing together. On the day of her speech, the panda shows up on the playground and all the kids rush out to greet him. Florence then meets Bea, a person who shares many of her interests, including a love of pandas.
Writer and illustrator Miriam Latimer has fashioned a fetching story about the rewards that can come from the bonds between children and animals. In this picture book, which is designed for children from 3 to 7 years of age, it is easy to cheer for Florence who does not give up in the face of a public speech (one of things that both children and adults say they fear the most) but uses her creativity to come up with a solution that pleases everyone.
