Where My Feet Go

As a panda’s feet carry him through a day, they’re often on his mind, becoming the focal point of his imaginative take on some typical adventures. When he splashes in a puddle in the morning, “my feet go splashing in the ocean.” When he feeds the birds in the afternoon, “my feet sit very, very quietly.” And when he plays airplane with his father, his feet “go flying to the moon!” It’s a fascination that’s easy to understand—especially for readers who have perhaps only recently mastered the art of walking themselves, and are marveling in where their own feet can take them. Sif (Miss Hazeltine’s Home for Shy and Fearful Cats) never shows an actual “feet’s-eye” view of the panda’s activities—all of her softly colored, pencil-textured pictures are composed with a straight-on perspective—a visual strategy that establishes the panda as firmly in control, both in the real world and in pretend play. He looks a bit more canine than ursine, but he navigates his world so confidently and imaginatively that readers won’t care. Ages 2–5. [em]Agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. (Feb.) [/em]