Pandamonia

"You'll have a magnificent time at the zoo... / ...just don't wake the panda whatever you do." After opening quietly, on a double-page spread showing a fat, sleepy panda against a calm white background and containing explicit instructions for zoo-visit behavior, the book continues with every page-turn to tell and show the chaos that will ensue if the listener disobeys. Beginning with hopping hippos, each spread gets more and more crowded and theatrical as a multitude of animals enters the scene, from termites to wallabies to a crocodile. The funny, singsongy rhymes have a speedy rhythm that easily matches the exuberance of the art: "The black cockatoos like to screech rock 'n' roll. / The toucans can cancan right out of control. / The grizzly bears start to rumba as well, / and even the tortoise comes out of her shell." As the energetic diatribe winds down, the book repeats its warning three times about not waking the panda, the font size increasing along with the decibel level until, of course, the panda wakes up: "Oops..." Of all the animals in this attractive Australian import, the featured panda has the most distinctive personality, and readers can enjoy speculating as to how the grumpy creature will react now that it has been disturbed. This visually and aurally pleasing package offers a wild and silly zoo for young armchair travelers to discover and visit. julie roach