30 July 2013 XANDER'S PANDA PARTY by Linda Sue Park and Matt Phelan, ill., Clarion, September 2013, 40p., ISBN: 978-0-547-55865-1

"Then God way up in heaven, for whatever it was worth

Thought he'd have a big old party, thought he'd call it Planet Earth"

-- Bob Weir (1971)

"From her tree Koala hollered, 'Xander, I am not a bear.' 

Xander didn't understand her.  'Koala Bear, you're not a

bear?'  He stared at her in consternation.

'Sorry for the complication.  I know I'm called Koala Bear.

but I am not a bear, I swear.  I am a marsupial.  Marsupials --

we're rather rare.  Will I not be welcome there?'"

Do you remember learning "King Phillip Came Over From Greece Saturday" or one of its close variations? It is a mnemonic device taught by science teachers to help students memorize the levels of classification of life forms (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species).  Sorting, grouping, classifying, ordering: these are essential concepts in science, math, and other curricular areas that need to be learned, beginning in preschool and continuing right up through high school and beyond. 

Linda Sue Park and Matt Phelan are a very talented pair of homo sapiens.  Through their tale of Xander Panda planning a party at the zoo -- conveyed in rollicking rhyme and ink-and-watercolor images -- they introduce young audiences to the concepts that underlie the classification of the various life forms who are going to be partying out.

At first, it was going to be a panda party.  But that would make it a party of one.  So then Xander adds the rest of the bears and the koala complication arises.  This leads to his expanding the guest list so as to include all of the mammals in the zoo.  But then...

"Soon Rhinoceros sent word:

'It may sound a bit absurd,

but I won't come without my bird.'"

"Xander felt a little blue.  He chewed bamboo, a stalk or two.  He fidgeted

and paced the floor, then scratched an itch and paced some more.

Finally, a firm decision: Xander's brand-new party vision!

'All the birds and all the mammals, from whooping cranes to hybrid

camels -- anyone with fur or feathers, congregating all together!'"

I particularly love the sweet illustration accompanying that passage, Xander standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a dozen-plus penguins, a youngster leaning its head on Xander's leg, and Xander with a look of "What have I gotten myself into?"

"All God's critters got a place in the choir"

-- Bill Staines (1978)

And this, to me, brings up the even-more important concept to be gleaned by young audiences from this story.  Sorting and classifying is all well and good, but this is also a story about inclusiveness, about everyone being invited.  It serves as a gentle, subtle, but unambiguous broadside against cliques, against boys-only or girls-only or whites-only or kids-with the-right-clothes-only. 

"What a party!  What a ball!  Lots of new friends, tall and small!  Every creature at the zoo…"

Look at the big smile on every critter's face!  See what happens when everyone is made to feel welcome?  Inclusiveness rocks!

Classify this book as a Yes!  

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_school_lit/

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