Review of My Sweet Adventures with My Panda Lola

PeterRabitt20 · Post by **PeterRabitt20** » 18 Aug 2021, 12:19

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "My Sweet Adventures with My Panda Lola" by Stephanie Suazo.]

2 out of 4 stars

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This children’s book is about little Lucila and her best friend, Lola the panda. It is told from Lucila’s point of view for a preschool-aged audience.

My Sweet Adventures with My Panda Lola, by Stephanie Suazo-Galvez, has a simple plotline. Little Lucila starts by introducing us to her plush toy, Lola. They do everything together, such as playing in the park and riding their bicycle. Lucila always makes sure that Lola is nearby. One day, Lola goes missing. Frantic, Lucila doesn’t know what to do; thankfully, her father comes to help her find Lola. Will Lucila find her friend in time for the holidays?

The friendship between Lucila and Lola is a positive and admirable aspect of the book. They are truly inseparable. The two friends have fun spending the holidays together. They make cards on Mother’s Day, open gifts on Christmas morning, and listen to mommy’s stories on Cinco de Mayo. This story encourages younger readers to create an imaginary friend amongst their favorite toys. Because the story is about the yearly holidays, it would make a great teaching tool; as a side note, I suggest adding the months while reading aloud.

My favorite aspect, however, is the vector illustrations done by Natalia Litvinenko. I liked Lola, the panda, who is adorable in a “kawaii-esque” manner and not too fussy. Litvinenko uses pastel purples and pinks but also toned-down reds and greens. While her backgrounds are simple, she focuses the details on specific items. For example, the sombrero and poncho have embroidered shapes and flowers. Another example is the Christmas tree decorations.

The book's downsides are the sparse dialogue and the font choice. For instance, Lucila refers to what her mother is saying—instead of an open conversation. The font type and small size made it difficult to read, even after zooming in. The letters looked bunched up against one another—my eyesight is perfect, though.

My biggest issue is the numerous grammar errors, such as misspelled words and incorrect tenses. For example, "saids" instead of "said". As a result, I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. I couldn’t give a higher rating due to the grievances mentioned above. Luckily, the illustrations are beautiful and do not merit a 1-star rating.

Since it is a children’s book, I cannot recommend it in its current state. However, once the points of concern are resolved, I recommend it to those looking for a calendar-themed story. Also, the book does refer to Hispanic heritage; so, those searching for multicultural stories should give it a try. I would not recommend it to readers who do not enjoy make-believe themes.

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My Sweet Adventures with My Panda Lola
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Kaushiki Parihar · Post by **Kaushiki Parihar** » 22 Aug 2021, 05:55

I love children's book and I want to enjoy reading the friendship of Lucila and Lola. However, it's awful that the book is not professionally edited. Amazing review!

PeterRabitt20 · Post by **PeterRabitt20** » 22 Aug 2021, 15:06

Kaushiki Parihar wrote: ↑22 Aug 2021, 05:55 I love children's book and I want to enjoy reading the friendship of Lucila and Lola. However, it's awful that the book is not professionally edited. Amazing review!

Hopefully, there will be fixed because the pictures were wonderful. Thanks for stopping by!

SamaylaM · Post by **SamaylaM** » 25 Aug 2021, 00:10

The book seems to have diverse and imaginative content. However, I agree with you that it cannot be recommended to kids in its current state. Hopefully, the author will address the issues that you mentioned. Thank you for the honest and comprehensive review!

PeterRabitt20 · Post by **PeterRabitt20** » 26 Aug 2021, 13:01

SamaylaM wrote: ↑25 Aug 2021, 00:10 The book seems to have diverse and imaginative content. However, I agree with you that it cannot be recommended to kids in its current state. Hopefully, the author will address the issues that you mentioned. Thank you for the honest and comprehensive review!

I hope so too because I liked the character Lola panda. Thanks for stopping by!

Medhansh Bhardwaj · Post by **Medhansh Bhardwaj** » 30 Aug 2021, 09:34

The theme and storyline is wonderful, but the grammatical errors should be removed as soon as possible. Only then will this book become a 3/4 star deserving book.