The notorious Chiwanda has struck again. All of Madame Stone’s jewelry stores have been robbed and Chiwanda has left a note threatening to steal again. But Panda Man is on the job! Usually he is practicing his martial arts in the mountains, but he got hungry, so he was in town to help.
Panda Man saves the day in silly ways – by eating the electrified cake while Chiwanda is still holding it so Chiwanda gets electrocuted, or by inhaling all the laughing gas pastries and choking because he inhaled so many and spitting all the gas back at Chiwanda. It quickly becomes apparent to the adult reader who the mysterious Chiwanda is, but there is enough suspense for small children.
This is an interactive book, with activities both within the stories and at the end of the book. For example, when Chiwanda leaves her messages, they are in code. The reader needs to take the first letter of each of a series of images to spell out a word. The simple black and white art is easy to read, making this a good introduction to manga-style drawing. I personally found that the digital lettering (or at least it looked digital) diminished the quality of the book, making it look less finished and more like something my neighbor’s teenage son put together on his computer. Again, I’m not sure this small weakness is something a six year old will care about. They will enjoy the silliness, the fart jokes, and the heart-warming ending.
Panda Man, vol. 3: Panda Man vs. Chiwanda
by Sho Makura
Art by Haruhi Kayo
ISBN: 978-142153522
Viz Media, 2011
Publisher Age Rating: ages 6 and up
