Also written and/or illustrated by Mary Murphy: A Kiss Like This Panda Foo and the New Friend by Mary Murphy Baby-PreK 32 pages Candlewick July 2007 Hardcover     Panda Foo, Jigger Bird and Boodle the baby boar are planning a picnic together in this latest picture book by children’s author-illustrator Mary Murphy. When Panda Foo announces that she has invited a new friend named Curly, this prompts a series of questions from Jigger Bird and Boodle as they all make their way to the picnic spot: I Curly as big as Boodle? Is she smaller than Jigger? Does she splash in the water or does she wade? Will she be shy? What does she like to eat? But once Jigger Bird and Boodle meet Curly the blue sheep, they find her to be the perfect addition to their picnic. Panda Foo and the New Friend perfectly captures the curiosity, excitement and anxiety young children may feel about meeting strangers, even those that are likely to become friends. The gentle charm of the book is enhanced by Mary Murphy’s gorgeous renderings of the Chinese countryside - all the animals featured in the book, including Curly the blue sheep, are native to China.     web reviews   Usha Reynolds/2009 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)