Title: JJ and the Giant Panther (Smarty Pup 2)
Author: Anh Doh
Illustrator: Anton Emdin
Published: April 2023
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Readership: Junior Fiction
Rating: ★★★★
RRP: $15.99
I received a copy of JJ and the Giant Panther from the publishers for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The next PANTHER-ific adventure in this full-colour series from mega-bestselling author Anh Do!
‘Deal!’ promised JJ.
JJ the genius pup has Lily and her teammates rolling around with laughter at his antics, until glowing eyes start appearing in the shadows . . . Could it be the legendary GIANT PANTHER??
Lily and JJ – the very intelligent, talking dog – go on a camping trip with Lily’s classmates and learn what it means to work as a team and to demonstrate bravery. Along the way they face their fears (not the least of which include heights and potentially large cats lurking in the bushes!) and discover that they’re stronger, and braver, than they thought.
The Smarty Pup series by Anh Doh is a wonderfully fun, entertaining read. The second book, JJ and the Giant Panther, expands on the first book and delves into themes and topics relevant to the target audience (6-10 year olds) including friendship, teamwork and what it means to be brave – not just big acts of bravery, but the ordinary, day-to-day bravery that often goes unnoticed.
This book is funny and smart, but it also has a lot of heart as Lily reflects on the lessons she learnt from her mother (who passed away prior to the beginning of the series), which is a lovely way to show the grief of losing a loved one while still remembering the most important memories.
Smarty Pup is possibly my favourite of Anh Doh’s series and I can’t wait for the next Lily and JJ adventure.
Noveltea Corner 