BOOK REVIEW: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury

Stephanie O'Connell | 2 September 2021 | Reply

BOOK REVIEW: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury

Michael Joseph | Penguin Books
September 2021
Hardcover, $29.99
Reviewed by Steph O’Connell

Philosophy / Buddhism / Self Help

95% Rocking

The charming, illustrated story of two friends, who travel through the seasons sharing the lessons they learn on their way; the perfect gift to uplift and inspire your loved ones

‘We’re lost again,’ said Big Panda
‘When I’m lost,’ said Tiny Dragon, ‘I find it helps to go back to the beginning and try to remember why I started.’

This is the uplifting, beautifully illustrated story of two beloved friends as they journey through the seasons of the year together, into the wild, exploring the thoughts and emotions, hardships and happiness that connect us all.

Writer and artist James Norbury began illustrating the adventures of Big Panda and Tiny Dragon, inspired by Buddhist philosophy and spirituality, to share the ideas that have helped him through the most difficult times, in the hope they can help others too.

This is a gorgeous, thoughtful, uplifting book about love, friendship, and not stressing too much about the goings-on around us over which we have little to no power.

‘What if I meet people who don’t like me or the things I do?’ asked Tiny Dragon.
‘You must walk your own path,’ said Big Panda. ‘Better to lose them than lose yourself.’

Full of the Buddhist thoughts and teachings that helped the author/illustrator overcome some of his own darkest times, and presented in an engaging, illustrated format with two characters you can’t help but grow to care for, this is a book that will leave you feeling a little bit better about the world, and yourself, than you did before you read it.

‘Sometimes I think I’m not good enough,’ said Tiny Dragon.
‘A cherry tree doesn’t compare itself to other trees,’ said Big Panda, ‘it just blossoms.’

Big Panda and Tiny Dragon is a great read for anyone, be they five, fifty-five, or one-hundred-and-five, and is a wonderful go-to gift that inspires similar feelings of love and appreciation to those conveyed in The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy in 2019, this reviewer’s other go-to gift book!