The Moon Is a Ball: Stories of Panda & Squirrel

by Ed Franck, Khing Thé (Illustrator)

Join Panda and Squirrel in nine funny, wise and thoughtful stories about the meaning of friendship by two world greats of children’s literature. Perfect for emerging readers. Panda and Squirrel have an unbreakable friendship. They can't live without each other and do everything lie on the rocks to look at the moon, take walks, play games. One of their journeys lasts for only two steps, another day they discover a newly hatched duckling. Sometimes they argue but they always make up again. This is a friendship for any roaring, quiet, grumbling, snoring...always. This beautiful hardback storybook, with full-color illustrations throughout, features down-to-earth and warm-hearted friendship stories that reach straight from the soul of one six-year-old to another. Perfect for emerging readers or for reading aloud together, it's a book to read again and again. Written by Ed Franck, one of Belgium's most important and innovative children's writers, and illustrated by Thé Tjong-Khing, a world-leading illustrator for children, whose many accolades include nomination for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Translated from the Dutch edition by David Colmer. Praise for The Moon is a Ball ". . . [C]aptivating text, ideal for reading aloud. . ."― The New York Times "As Franck models charming rapport and low-stakes companionship, Tjong-Khing's delicate artwork provides nature-filled scenes of glorious suns and a bamboo forest.”― Publishers Weekly "Full of heart and gentle humor, Panda and Squirrel are sure to please." ― Booklist "Striking artwork and sweet, funny stories about friendship make The Moon Is a Ball an amusing addition to the philosophical friends genre, alongside Winnie-the-Pooh and Frog and Toad Are Friends .”― Shelf Awareness " Families who love short, illustrated fiction featuring animals, such as The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham or Ulf Nilsson's Detective Gordon series."―Youth Services Book Review "Enjoyable.”― Kirkus Reviews " [An] upbeat, curiosity-inducing early reader."― Foreword Reviews

Genres: Friendship, Animals, Childrens, Fiction, Short Stories

80 pages, Hardcover

Published April 4, 2023

About the author

Ed Franck (pseudoniem van Eddy Vrancken) is een Vlaamse jeugdauteur en dichter.

Ed Franck in de Nederlandstalige Wikipedia

Ed Franck in de Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren


Ed Franck (aka Eddy Vrancken) is a Flemish youth author and poet.

Reviews

[whatbooknext · Rating 4 out of 5]

Panda and Squirrel are the very best of friends. They live close to each other – Panda in a cave and Squirrel in his nest in the hollow of a fallen tree.

They spend a lot of time together. Staring at the stars, trying to catch the moon, taking journeys long and short together, all the while talking and pondering the world around them.

Sometimes though, they bicker and fight, only to discover how they are still true friends in the end.

They play, and play tricks. They test the boundaries of their friendship. But no matter what happens, those boundaries flex and bend and pull them together again.



This collection of 9 stories is delightful. Each story stars both Panda and his best friend Squirrel and their friendship.

They do almost everything together, and when they don’t, they soon realize they miss the other.

They try to capture the moon, get bored, begin a journey together, then have an argument! They become parents (for a while), play, and climb trees. When one plans a trip alone, the other plans a trick to keep them near.

No matter what happens – they always end the day even better friends.

Adorable. The perfect bedtime read aloud for gentle souls with full color illustrations and clear text.

Age – 6+

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

HIGH ADDITIONAL.

Nine short chapters about friends Panda and Squirrel make up this easy fiction book, translated from the Dutch. These simple friendship stories are reminiscent of classics such as Winnie the Pooh and Frog and Toad. The interwoven tales show friendships that are sometimes strained and feelings that are nuanced and complex.

The stories are accompanied by absolutely gorgeous and deceptively simple ink-and-watercolor illustrations by Thé Tjong-Khing.

[Isa Rive · Rating 3 out of 5]

A devoted friendship between very different animals. There is play, testing of boundaries and arguments which end … in reconciliation. The translation had a couple of awkward turns of phrase. Sweet book with simple painted illustrations.

[Sandy Sopko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet stories and cute illustrations, nice book about friendship.

[Angela Juline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how this is broken down into very short stories - good book for those readers who struggle to read full novels. They could just read a few stories and feel accomplished.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Panda and squirrel are best friends. True, it seems like an odd pairing. However they are totally devoted to each other. This is a collection of short stories about them and various situations they find themselves in. No matter what, they are there for each other to support, guide, lean on, and enjoy life with. This is a terrific book for emerging readers and also as a read-aloud. Children will see, and feel friendship through the animal characters. The simple language and wonderful illustrations are inviting for young children.

[Kitchen Sink Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Panda and Squirrel have the perfect, unbreakable friendship and Ed Franck has written a series of short stories, that could almost be considered chapters, to celebrate their friendship and share it with us in The Moon Is A Ball. Illustrations by Thé Tjong-Khing are the perfect complement to the tales, full of adorable expression and a sympathetic understanding of the world in which Panda and Squirrel live - their friends too. The beauty of a book such as this one is the being able to dip in, to read a complete story and know there is more to come back to making it ideal for children growing in reading independence.

Panda and Squirrel truly do have an unbreakable friendship, take for example the story Do Not Disturb! Panda sees that nothing in the world around her is moving so she decides to roar to the world that she wants to be left alone. Of course everyone visits her to find out what is wrong and she turns them all away, except for Squirrel. Squirrel is concerned but as Panda explains, she has had the perfect day - so many visitors, but she always welcomes Squirrel no matter what. Just one example from the many in the book all of which have a beautifully philosophical, wise, and funny undertone to them. They challenge the way we think about friendships and help us see how much depth and joy they bring to our lives. This is a story of friendships for every day, for any day, from the soul. It reaches out and envelopes its readers in the biggest, warmest hug.

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best friends Panda and Squirrel progress on many fascinating journeys and adventures, some physical and some philosophical, in this Pooh-esque beginning chapter book. Themed around developing friendships, their relationship is riddled with differences and sparked with delightful dialogue. In nine brief chapters, Panda and Squirrel discover how difficult it would be to reach the moon; how to handle Squirrel’s need for peace and alone time; how to raise a baby duckling; what to do when a fall results in amnesia; and how to settle a friendly fight. Squirrel and Panda ponder existential questions and a vast spectrum of animal emotions, working through conflicts and questions by applying kind and sometimes selfless communication skills. This gentle title provides many opportunities for young readers to discover solutions to simple friendship queries that arise as children work through that maze called “friend-making”. A delightful standalone to the beginning chapter book collection.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Panda and Squirrel are best friends. Nine short chapters are little stories about their relationship and what they mean to each other. In the first, the friends are gazing at the moon. Panda surmises that the moon is a ball, since she sees children playing with something just like it. In a testament to their friendship, Squirrel volunteers to get the moon for Panda. They collaborate on fashioning a ladder, but, predictably, they aren’t successful. The chapter ends as the two start singing “A quiet song about the moon.”

This gentle book, a Dutch import, is perfect for animal loving children and their families. The charming artwork, which has the look of ink and watercolor, perfectly complements the world of Panda and Squirrel, where there are other animals, but where these two friends are the main characters in each other’s lives.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Panda and Squirrel are good friends, and these nine short stories allow readers to follow them on their journeys, some of which are quite short and others longer and more challenging. Each story offers insights into the nature of friendship and its ups and downs. While the tales can be enjoyed on a surface level, they also can be appreciated for the grains of wisdom gleaned from their telling as well as their humor. The colorful illustrations add visual appeal to the text, which consists primarily of dialogue. This one has the feel of a classic traditional story.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nine warm-hearted, thoughtful stories about the unbreakable friendship between Panda and Squirrel
who do everything together: lie on the rocks to look at the moon, take walks, play games. They occasionally argue, but they always make up again. Lovely watercolor illustrations throughout. Translated from Dutch.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute collection of friendship stories. Panda and Squirrel are charming and fun, and have a series of mini adventures.