AMANDA THE PANDA AND THE REDHEAD
By
Why doesn't Panda Bear talk? Where is my other cowboy boot? Can I plant the grapefruit seeds now? . . ."" This is Amanda first thing in the morning trying to get ATTENTION. And when no one will answer her she sulks all day (""Amanda's not talking today"" her father warns the teacher) and then takes out her frustration by pummeling Panda Bear even after he teases her with a wink and a single sentence--""I can talk if I want to."" Youngsters whose parents are less patient (Amanda's are all smiles when she finally breaks down and screams for a drink and a story after lights out) might envy her the luxury of a day long rebellion. Amanda's mood is easy to identify with (""She went into the bathroom and unrolled all the toilet paper. Then she rolled it up again"") and McCully's red crayony drawings emphasize the monochromatic universality of those days when nothing is right. . . but for many, mother and father's reactions will be as far fetched as that wink from Panda Bear.