How this book got red /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

None of the panda books are ever about red pandas!
Red is going to do something about that.

When Red discovers a new book about pandas, she can't wait to read it! Except it's about only one kind of panda, and red pandas are completely left out. Red never gets to read stories about pandas like herself! So she decides to take matters into her own paws and write her own book.

But sometimes Red wonders if the only kind of pandas the world sees are the black and white kind. What if nobody wants to read her book? Red must find the courage to finish her story.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Kirkus Book Review

A red panda notices that media is dominated by giant pandas. One day, Red (an adorable red panda) and her friend Gee (an equally cute black-and-white giant panda) find a book about pandas. Red's initial excitement turns to disappointment when she sees that the entire book is about giant pandas, with nary a red panda in sight. "Who wrote this anyway!?" she fumes. "Ohhhhhhh!" says Gee as they spot a giant panda's author photo on the back flap. Red decides to write her own book about red pandas, but as the pair walk through the town, readers will notice all the giant panda merchandise (even red panda children have black-and-white dolls), including the bookstore display. "No one wants to read about red pandas," Red concludes and tosses her half-finished book away. Later, the friends find a group of pandas crowded around her unfinished book. "That one looks just like me!" one red panda points out. They tell Red that they want and need this book, which inspires her to persevere. Greanias illustrates perfectly, in a way that children will intuitively understand, why it's so crucial for everyone to see themselves depicted in media; Iwai's lovable panda characters, rendered in colorful watercolor, pencil, and digital tools, are irresistible. A final joyful spread portrays a future in which both types of pandas are represented everywhere, and crayon-drawn endpapers show pages from Red's book. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Astute and adorable commentary on media representation. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

MARGARET CHIU GREANIAS is not a red panda, but when she was growing up she also did not see herself in many books. She is the author of the picture books Amah Faraway and Maximillian Villainous. The daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, she now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three children.