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The Pandas and Their Chopsticks: And Other Animals Stories
What do polite pandas, cunning kitties, talkative turtles, and hasty hedgehogs have in common? They all feature in the delightful new book of whimsical animal stories by award-winning artist Demi! Adapted from traditional folktales, these lighthearted stories have a universal appeal and will provide valuable lessons for little hearts and minds to absorb. Discover how panda learns the importance of sharing, how turtle discovers the danger of being proud, and how everyone, including tiny hummingbird, has their part to play in life.
28 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2014
2 people are currently reading
283 people want to read
About the author
Demi
178 books176 followersDemi (September 2, 1942) born Charlotte Dumaresq Hunt, is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. During her career she has published over 300 titles.
Demi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the great-grand daughter of the American painter William Morris Hunt, and the great-grand niece of architect Richard Morris Hunt. Demi earned her nickname as a young child when her father started calling her demi because she was half the size of her sister.
She studied art at Instituto Allende, Mexico, and with Sister Corita at the Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. She was a Fulbright scholar at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India where she received her Master’s degree.
Demi is known for her biographies for spiritual figures including Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu, Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), Muhammad, Rumi, Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama.
In 1990, Demi and her husband Tze-si “Jesse” Huang represented the United States at the First Children’s International Book Conference in Beijing.
Source: Wikipedia
Demi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the great-grand daughter of the American painter William Morris Hunt, and the great-grand niece of architect Richard Morris Hunt. Demi earned her nickname as a young child when her father started calling her demi because she was half the size of her sister.
She studied art at Instituto Allende, Mexico, and with Sister Corita at the Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. She was a Fulbright scholar at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India where she received her Master’s degree.
Demi is known for her biographies for spiritual figures including Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu, Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), Muhammad, Rumi, Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama.
In 1990, Demi and her husband Tze-si “Jesse” Huang represented the United States at the First Children’s International Book Conference in Beijing.
Source: Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
November 29, 2014
What child and parent doesn't love a good old fashioned folk tale? Readers will love these cute Asian fables brought back to life with their extraordinary illustrations, that are colorful, detailed works of art. Young readers will enjoy a variety of tales that teach. The stories are seemingly simplistic but deliver a powerful message. Below is a sample of what readers may find throughout these pages.
A River Discovers The Ocean
Once upon a time, there was a big river. The river was so wide that buffaloes on one bank couldn't see horses on the other. The big river was proud. He thought that he was as great as great could be. Imagine his surprise when he finally came to the ocean. It was so much bigger than himself!
The river said to the ocean, “If I hadn't seen your size with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it. I thought I was as great as great could be!”
The ocean replied, “Nothing on earth is as great as me. Thousands of rivers flow into me, yet I am never full. But I know I am still just one part of the earth. And I am still only a speck of dust compared to the greatness of Heaven!”
Be humble. It is the starting point of all greatness.
Wisdom Tales has always provided exceptional books that teach young readers values and history. The display of tales combined with the exceptional artwork will be a treasure for any home library. Parents, teachers and children will enjoy these books for a lifetime.
A River Discovers The Ocean
Once upon a time, there was a big river. The river was so wide that buffaloes on one bank couldn't see horses on the other. The big river was proud. He thought that he was as great as great could be. Imagine his surprise when he finally came to the ocean. It was so much bigger than himself!
The river said to the ocean, “If I hadn't seen your size with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it. I thought I was as great as great could be!”
The ocean replied, “Nothing on earth is as great as me. Thousands of rivers flow into me, yet I am never full. But I know I am still just one part of the earth. And I am still only a speck of dust compared to the greatness of Heaven!”
Be humble. It is the starting point of all greatness.
Wisdom Tales has always provided exceptional books that teach young readers values and history. The display of tales combined with the exceptional artwork will be a treasure for any home library. Parents, teachers and children will enjoy these books for a lifetime.
August 8, 2014
A winner from Demi
I've enjoyed children's books I've read in the past from Wisdom Tales Press. They do a quality job - from the authors they select to represent to the books produced. THE PANDAS AND THEIR CHOPSTICKS AND OTHER ANIMAL STORIES by author/illustrator Demi is my favorite book of theirs so far.
The stories remind me of Aesop's Fables that I read when I was young. These are very short stories, with a moral at the end of each story printed in italics - perfect for young children with short attention spans. They also allow for a good discussion time with your children.
The thing I like the most about these stories are the illustrations. They look like they are painted in cloisonné enamel. I've never seen this effect before in the illustrating of books. The illustrations are truly gorgeous.
NOTE: I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
I've enjoyed children's books I've read in the past from Wisdom Tales Press. They do a quality job - from the authors they select to represent to the books produced. THE PANDAS AND THEIR CHOPSTICKS AND OTHER ANIMAL STORIES by author/illustrator Demi is my favorite book of theirs so far.
The stories remind me of Aesop's Fables that I read when I was young. These are very short stories, with a moral at the end of each story printed in italics - perfect for young children with short attention spans. They also allow for a good discussion time with your children.
The thing I like the most about these stories are the illustrations. They look like they are painted in cloisonné enamel. I've never seen this effect before in the illustrating of books. The illustrations are truly gorgeous.
NOTE: I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 16, 2014
This is an adorable book of fables for children. The Pandas and their Chopsticks by Demi is one of those books that children will want to have read to them over and over again. It is written in easy to understand words and the moral of each story is at the end in red.
Each story is has a different border. The story about the pandas and their chopsticks is surrounded by pandas in different poses on the two pages. The illustrastions are colorful and playful. It would make a welcome gift for a child.
I received this book from the publishers because of a win from FirstReads but that in no way influences my thoughts or feelings in my review.
Each story is has a different border. The story about the pandas and their chopsticks is surrounded by pandas in different poses on the two pages. The illustrastions are colorful and playful. It would make a welcome gift for a child.
I received this book from the publishers because of a win from FirstReads but that in no way influences my thoughts or feelings in my review.
August 30, 2014
The illustrations in this book are exquisite. And the stories are clever and fun to read. This will make a wonderful bedtime reading experience.
January 11, 2015
Two and a half stars, rounded up.
I'm a sucker for pandas, so when I came across this title I had to check it out. Unfortunately for me, the illustrations outshone the actual text and story telling by a pretty big amount.
This book contains multiple short stories, and I mean short. Each little fable is only about two or three sentences. While I like the morals or lessons that each animal story tells, it felt like no effort was put into the story telling at all. It wasn't very creative and they're very blunt and to the point. I expected more detail and storytelling, even in a children's book.
I did, however, love the illustrations. They were gorgeous and made the brief snippets of text come to life. They're really bright and fun and capture the imagination that the stories themselves are lacking in. For me, the illustrations are what saved this book.
I wouldn't really recommend it, but it's worth a flip through just for the illustrations alone. Thanks to Netgalley & Wisdom Tales for my copy in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
I'm a sucker for pandas, so when I came across this title I had to check it out. Unfortunately for me, the illustrations outshone the actual text and story telling by a pretty big amount.
This book contains multiple short stories, and I mean short. Each little fable is only about two or three sentences. While I like the morals or lessons that each animal story tells, it felt like no effort was put into the story telling at all. It wasn't very creative and they're very blunt and to the point. I expected more detail and storytelling, even in a children's book.
I did, however, love the illustrations. They were gorgeous and made the brief snippets of text come to life. They're really bright and fun and capture the imagination that the stories themselves are lacking in. For me, the illustrations are what saved this book.
I wouldn't really recommend it, but it's worth a flip through just for the illustrations alone. Thanks to Netgalley & Wisdom Tales for my copy in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
November 15, 2014
A cheap imitation of Aesop's fables filled with some nice illustrations. While the stories in this book were nice, and all contained a moral at the end, they were each too brief. Most of the stories were only a few sentences long and could have used more development and description. For example, "A Hedgehog Thinks Twice" is about a hedgehog who believes his neighbor stole his shovel until he realizes that he had forgotten it in his own garden. The one sentence in the story describing the neighbor's "suspicious" behavior could have been developed into a full paragraph for much more comic effect. Most of the stories had similar issues. They weren't described enough to really transmit the moral to the reader.
I really enjoyed the border illustrations in this book. Each of the pages was bordered by small drawings of the animals written about in the stories.
Free digital ARC from NetGalley.
I really enjoyed the border illustrations in this book. Each of the pages was bordered by small drawings of the animals written about in the stories.
Free digital ARC from NetGalley.
December 20, 2014
Eastern Wisdom For Tiny Tykes
I LOVE Wisdom Tales! This one is all gorgeously illustrated animal proverbs with decidedly Eastern wisdom. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to share it with my children as I believe these are really important lessons! Each time I find a new Wisdom Tale I am pleasantly surprised with the ancient wisdom being passed on in such a beautiful fashion to our modern world!
***This book is suitable for children of all ages both to read together and to be read aloud at bed/nap time.
I LOVE Wisdom Tales! This one is all gorgeously illustrated animal proverbs with decidedly Eastern wisdom. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to share it with my children as I believe these are really important lessons! Each time I find a new Wisdom Tale I am pleasantly surprised with the ancient wisdom being passed on in such a beautiful fashion to our modern world!
***This book is suitable for children of all ages both to read together and to be read aloud at bed/nap time.
October 14, 2014
My kids liked this book, it has some interesting short stories. This book held all of my children's interest, and has cute illustrations. The book is also very colorful.
November 16, 2014
It is the illustrations that capture your attention in this beautiful book.
Each of the very short tales is enjoyable and has a lesson at the end.
I think in discussing it with your children, you could also discover more lessons in the tales.
Each of the very short tales is enjoyable and has a lesson at the end.
I think in discussing it with your children, you could also discover more lessons in the tales.
August 14, 2014
Fables are always a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the Chinese tapestry-style illustrations.
June 4, 2015
A great collection of stories to teach life lessons. Wonderfully illustrated and simple yet so full of wisdom.
November 4, 2014
Wonderful Asian folktales. Engaging illustrations - animals very expressive
November 25, 2014
This book is a series of short stories adapted from some well-known Chinese fables. The stories were short but poignant. It's a great book for beginner readers.
November 3, 2021
The illustrations are lovely and rich, and the fables are mostly pretty solid...
Except.
Except.
In one of the stories, an owl flies to the North, to the South, to the East, and West, driven out of each direction because none of the birds like the sound of his hoot. He is about to fly to Heaven when a dove advises him, "Wouldn't it just be better if you changed your hoot? Otherwise even in Heaven no one will like the way you sound." (Emphasis mine.) The takeaway lesson in the text is "Our faults follow us wherever we go, unless we do something to leave them behind." But let's unpack that...
While I don't have any arguments with the takeaway lesson, I take HUGE exception to the story through which this lesson is conveyed. Basically, the poor owl thinks that because others don't like a particular quality about himself, he doesn't deserve to be around them, and that he should try to change it. This is a terrible, terrible thing to teach to a child, or for anyone, anywhere, really.
A HOOT, something an owl simply has, and cannot help (much like someone's laugh, or the sound of their voice, or any number of other physical characteristics) should not be something that an owl (we) should be ashamed of, or shunned for. Really what happened in this story was that all the smaller birds decided to fool the owl into questioning his own identity and worth, and therefore successfully drove the owl (a predator!) away, thus rendering their habitat safer and with less competition for resources. What the lesson SHOULD be is "Consider criticism carefully, and the agendas of the people who deliver it", NOT "If people don't like you because of one of your qualities, simply change yourself."
If you do read this book to a child, please do so with this caveat in mind.
Except.
Except.
In one of the stories, an owl flies to the North, to the South, to the East, and West, driven out of each direction because none of the birds like the sound of his hoot. He is about to fly to Heaven when a dove advises him, "Wouldn't it just be better if you changed your hoot? Otherwise even in Heaven no one will like the way you sound." (Emphasis mine.) The takeaway lesson in the text is "Our faults follow us wherever we go, unless we do something to leave them behind." But let's unpack that...
While I don't have any arguments with the takeaway lesson, I take HUGE exception to the story through which this lesson is conveyed. Basically, the poor owl thinks that because others don't like a particular quality about himself, he doesn't deserve to be around them, and that he should try to change it. This is a terrible, terrible thing to teach to a child, or for anyone, anywhere, really.
A HOOT, something an owl simply has, and cannot help (much like someone's laugh, or the sound of their voice, or any number of other physical characteristics) should not be something that an owl (we) should be ashamed of, or shunned for. Really what happened in this story was that all the smaller birds decided to fool the owl into questioning his own identity and worth, and therefore successfully drove the owl (a predator!) away, thus rendering their habitat safer and with less competition for resources. What the lesson SHOULD be is "Consider criticism carefully, and the agendas of the people who deliver it", NOT "If people don't like you because of one of your qualities, simply change yourself."
If you do read this book to a child, please do so with this caveat in mind.
May 9, 2024
A lovely little collection of folktales from the Asian traditions illustrated by Demi. Who can resist the cute pandas on the cover. Seriously.
Stories include:
The Pandas and their chopsticks
The Cat who Prayed
The Fox who was King of the Forest
A Hedgehog thinks twice
The Helpful hummingbird
The Turtle who couldn't stop talking
The Frog who counted two stars from the bottom of his well
The Kite on a String
The Owl's Hoot
A River Discovers the Ocean
The stories all have a moral and they teach a little something about life. Some of them, I have heard used in other stories I've read, many I haven't. A nice little collection. Very memorable.
I love the River discovers the ocean. A great story about power. I would like to own this collection. It's a good one.
Stories include:
The Pandas and their chopsticks
The Cat who Prayed
The Fox who was King of the Forest
A Hedgehog thinks twice
The Helpful hummingbird
The Turtle who couldn't stop talking
The Frog who counted two stars from the bottom of his well
The Kite on a String
The Owl's Hoot
A River Discovers the Ocean
The stories all have a moral and they teach a little something about life. Some of them, I have heard used in other stories I've read, many I haven't. A nice little collection. Very memorable.
I love the River discovers the ocean. A great story about power. I would like to own this collection. It's a good one.
August 26, 2020
These are basically fables à la chinoise. The stories are short and simple, and I think the morals are actually pretty solid. The stories are totally accessible to my kiddo, but since the morals are a little more like proverbs, I think they're too concrete for him to grasp yet. He really likes the illustrations, though, especially the borders around each page, and I'll be curious to try this again with him when he's older and see what he takes away from the stories when he has a bit more ability to understand the messaging.
June 3, 2024
I liked the art a lot, of course; it's Demi. And most of the fables made sense & had good messages. But The Owl's Hoot is not a fault for the bird to change, rather, it's intrinsic to him and I'm concerned a child would be too self-critical, take teasing from bullies to heart. Similarly, the fables about boasting & humility are well-intentioned, but they make no allowance for self-confidence.
The setting is vaguely Asian but there are no notes or acknowledgements, which imo makes the book less recommendable.
The setting is vaguely Asian but there are no notes or acknowledgements, which imo makes the book less recommendable.
Read
January 19, 2020This is a great read aloud book for beginning/intermediate students. This book has different stories from different cultures that leave the readers with positive messages at the end of each story. Would be great for students who are learning about kindness and friendships.
November 20, 2019
Great folk tale involving animals and culture. Perfect for any age!
July 20, 2020
A nice collection of folktales can be found in this book. Short and fun to read to young children. This is an nice addition to any library.
June 30, 2021
I usually adore Demi books. This one is a collection of short stories / fables. The pictures were not the typical Demi style and I thought the book was only good but not excellent.
November 23, 2023
Splendid retelling of Asian animal folktales with morals illustrated by this delightful author.
January 12, 2024
Winter Challenge 2023-24
November 17, 2014
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Eating bamboo shoots with chopsticks three feet long? Impossible, you say. Not if you are a playful panda and learn to share and work together with your friends! In her newest work, award-winning author, Demi, presents 10 classic animal stories, each containing important moral lessons for little hearts and minds to absorb. Cunning kitties, helpful hummingbirds, talkative turtles, and hasty hedgehogs, all bring these beautiful fables to life. Through her magical illustrations and whimsical storytelling, Demi teaches the importance of being humble, the dangers of being too proud, the importance of generosity and sharing, and how everyone, no matter how small, has a part to play in life.
A collection of fables/parables. Each one is 2 pages long with a nice life lesson at the end of each one.
The highlight of this book were the illustrations. Each story is bordered by the animals depicted in the story and look beautiful and playful. A young child will delight in the colours and the "adventures" of the different animals.
This would be a great book for parents to read with their children and would open up conversations that a lot of parents need to have with their kids.
Paul
ARH
Eating bamboo shoots with chopsticks three feet long? Impossible, you say. Not if you are a playful panda and learn to share and work together with your friends! In her newest work, award-winning author, Demi, presents 10 classic animal stories, each containing important moral lessons for little hearts and minds to absorb. Cunning kitties, helpful hummingbirds, talkative turtles, and hasty hedgehogs, all bring these beautiful fables to life. Through her magical illustrations and whimsical storytelling, Demi teaches the importance of being humble, the dangers of being too proud, the importance of generosity and sharing, and how everyone, no matter how small, has a part to play in life.
A collection of fables/parables. Each one is 2 pages long with a nice life lesson at the end of each one.
The highlight of this book were the illustrations. Each story is bordered by the animals depicted in the story and look beautiful and playful. A young child will delight in the colours and the "adventures" of the different animals.
This would be a great book for parents to read with their children and would open up conversations that a lot of parents need to have with their kids.
Paul
ARH
December 5, 2014
This 28 page book is broken up into short (2 page) fables, each with a lesson that follows. The book is bright and stunning with illustrations on each page and borders that go with the stories as well. I loved the Pandas at the beginning and all of the lessons are insightful and understandable.
The illustrations were simple yet interesting and the pictures of the animals were fun. Some of the tales I liked the most were: The Kite on a String,The Helpful Hummingbird, and The Owl's Hoot.
I think this is an interesting way to teach a child these worldly lessons, but it can also just be read as tales to enjoy.
The illustrations were simple yet interesting and the pictures of the animals were fun. Some of the tales I liked the most were: The Kite on a String,The Helpful Hummingbird, and The Owl's Hoot.
I think this is an interesting way to teach a child these worldly lessons, but it can also just be read as tales to enjoy.
April 18, 2015
The Pandas and their Chopsticks by Demi –
Great book for all ages. These are fantastic short stories to share with students. You can have extended, thoughtful conversations about life choices, sharing, how pride can impact life, and the importance of everyone on earth. Beautiful collection of stories. It has been a little while since Demi released a book and this is worth the wait! I just love all of Demi’s creations… The Pandas and their Chopsticks was my favorite part of the collection since it reminded me of some philosophical discussions I had in high school.
Great book for all ages. These are fantastic short stories to share with students. You can have extended, thoughtful conversations about life choices, sharing, how pride can impact life, and the importance of everyone on earth. Beautiful collection of stories. It has been a little while since Demi released a book and this is worth the wait! I just love all of Demi’s creations… The Pandas and their Chopsticks was my favorite part of the collection since it reminded me of some philosophical discussions I had in high school.
November 17, 2016
A collection of 1-4 page fables with an Asian flavor.
Each of these short fables is accompanied by illustrations that are quintessentially Demi. All of the fables feature animals and all have a moral written at the bottom of the last page. The morals are all great advice for living well with others and being a kind and thoughtful person. It might be a bit much for kids to read all of these at once, but they would make good quick daily readings about conduct of life/morals/ethics. Definitely recommended if you're studying fables.
Each of these short fables is accompanied by illustrations that are quintessentially Demi. All of the fables feature animals and all have a moral written at the bottom of the last page. The morals are all great advice for living well with others and being a kind and thoughtful person. It might be a bit much for kids to read all of these at once, but they would make good quick daily readings about conduct of life/morals/ethics. Definitely recommended if you're studying fables.
December 29, 2014
This is a great collection of animal short stories that have wonderful illustrations to compliment the text. Each short story has a moral that teaches kids about pride, intelligence, kindness and other aspects both good and bad. This is a collection of stories that I have not seen before and I think kids and adults alike will enjoy.
I received this advanced copy from Wisdom Tales through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I received this advanced copy from Wisdom Tales through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
March 14, 2015
Received from Netgalley
I am obsessed with pandas and as soon as I laid my eyes on this I immediately requested it!
This books contained 10 short animal stories teaching children life lessons. I know they are meant for children, but the stories were merely a couple of sentences. It was straight to the point, not much story to tell.
The art was great, my favorite part was that each page had a beautiful border with the animals in the story.
I am obsessed with pandas and as soon as I laid my eyes on this I immediately requested it!
This books contained 10 short animal stories teaching children life lessons. I know they are meant for children, but the stories were merely a couple of sentences. It was straight to the point, not much story to tell.
The art was great, my favorite part was that each page had a beautiful border with the animals in the story.
November 22, 2014
Charming collection of fables from master storyteller and artist Demi. While not quite up to Demi's greatest, luminous heights, the art here is detailed and colorful. Readers or listeners might recognize some of these stories, as they have been told before in other forms, but there is still much to be discovered and enjoyed in this volume.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews