The Panda Problem

An Indie Next List Selection

"Master of meta Underwood's witty narrative and Marks' cute, colored-pencil illustrations come together to create a comical struggle for control between a narrator and their rebellious creation. Highly entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny." —Kirkus

"Being a narrator should be straightforward . . . But what happens when the protagonist refuses to play along? . . . Readers will gleefully embrace the anarchy that Underwood’s supremely silly repartee has unleashed." —Publishers Weekly

“Excellent . . . [a] cute, cute book.” —School Library Connection

"Kid-friendly . . . visually appealing . . . cheeky . . . adorable . . . Underwood’s latest meta tale creatively explains storytelling fundamentals, slyly defining plot, setting, and characters as the panda upends the norms. Now, thanks to the panda’s shenanigans, readers will be 'story experts,' too." —The Horn Book

“This read-aloud thrives on its quirky self-awareness, and it’s an entertaining introduction to humorous meta-textuality for young kids. . . . Listeners who take to this may want to check out Underwood’s series starring Cat, starting with Here Comes the Easter Cat.” —BCCB

"A hilarious, inventive, laughter-inducing meta tale. . . . A joyful read aloud." —School Library Journal, The Classroom Bookshelf blog