Little Panda, Big Heart (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798295654169)

When Bo the panda arrives at his favorite tree one summer morning, he finds a thin, sharp-eyed fox already there - and she has no intention of moving.

So Bo moves over instead.

Little Panda, Big Heart is a beautifully illustrated chapter book for readers aged 8 and up, following Bo through four seasons of quiet generosity, unexpected friendship, and the slow, patient work of caring for others. When drought comes to the forest, Bo begins leaving food and water for the fox - a prickly, guarded creature named Rue who lost her home and has forgotten how to trust. He doesn't ask for thanks. He simply keeps showing up.

As the seasons turn, the great tree at the edge of the meadow becomes a gathering place - for Lila the rabbit, for young Pip who attaches himself to Rue with cheerful determination, for Grim the grumpy badger who helps without ever admitting it. And slowly, steadily, Rue begins to change.

Tender and quietly wise, this story explores what it means to give without expectation, to be patient with those who have been hurt, and to discover that a heart grows by giving shade.

"Hearts are like trees," Mei said. "They grow by giving shade."

Perfect for fans of The One and Only Ivan and Charlotte's Web, Little Panda, Big Heart is a story about the ordinary, unspectacular, essential work of loving the world around you.