When I Draw a Panda

"This amusing picture book encourages imagination and individuality." —Booklist From the acclaimed author and illustrator of The Big Umbrella comes a delightful celebration of creativity and gumption about a girl and her panda that's Calvin and Hobbes meets If You Give a Mouse a Cookie! Sometimes when they say to draw a perfect circle, mine turn out a little wonky. I can draw a perfect fluffy cloud, a perfect scoop of ice cream, and a perfect flat tire. So when I draw a panda, I keep drawing more and more not-perfect circles until I see a panda. Then I step back and think, Does it need something else? He probably needs a hat, and then he is my panda. When a girl draws a panda, it comes to life and helps her embrace her own creativity and unique way of seeing the world.

Amy June Bates is the author-illustrator of The Big Umbrella, When I Draw a Panda, The Welcome Home, and The Light Keepers. She is also the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller The Leadership Journey by Doris Kearns Goodwin; Sweet Dreams and That's What I'd Do, both by singer-songwriter Jewel; Waiting for the Magic by Patricia MacLachlan; Joey: The Story of Joe Biden by Dr. Jill Biden; and many others. She has three children and lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with her husband and her devilishly handsome Labrador, Mr. Mochi.