Pandora, written by Victoria Turnbull, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Sofia F.
Summary: Pandora is a small fox that lives in an empty junk yard filled with unwanted toys and trash. “She made herself a handsome home from all that people had left behind.” She spends every day entertaining herself by fixing broken toys, until a little blue bird comes along and changes everything. The little blue bird was injured when it arrived at Pandora’s house and as the days went by, the bird grew stronger. The bird began to fly again and he always came back. Until one day when he didn’t. However, from the birds nest, the seeds started to grow and bring beauty back into Pandora’s world. One day Pandora woke up to the land of the living and her friend was back.

Straight Talk for Librarians: WOW! There is a lot to unpack in this beautiful story. Pandora learns about friendship, companionship, and heartbreak. Pandora did an act of kindness by nursing the bird back to health and she gained a friend. Her friend returned the favor by leaving behind plants, flowers and trees. The action of leaving seeds behind, changed the world for the better. Readers will go from the land of broken things to the land of the living. This book teaches children that there is always good that comes out of every bad situation. It teaches the valuable lesson that though not expected, even the smallest things can make the biggest difference. It opens doors for many learning opportunities. It could be used to show what an act of kindness might look like. It could be used as a read-aloud right before a science lesson on how plants and trees help the environment. The illustrations go from dark and dreary colors to beautiful, muted colors of the earth. Readers will fall in love with the characters and hopefully come back to read the book over and over. Something new will be discovered with each re-reading. It really is a powerful story for young and older readers alike.