The Midnight Panther
MY THOUGHTS
Have you ever had your breath taken away by a book? The Midnight Panther, written and illustrated by Poonam Mistry, will do that to you.
The Midnight Panther is a fable-like story about a panther who compares himself to the other big cats in the jungle. He realises he is different. Tiger has bold and fearless stripes, and the lion has a golden mane, but the Panther? All he has is plain, with black stretched skin devoid of stripes or spots or a mane. He runs away trying to find himself. He tries to embellish his body with leaves and feathers, but they don’t feel right. Then, one day, something magical happens, and he realises he may be different, but therein lies his strength.
The story is perfect for any child who struggles to fit in and feels different. The story is for emerging readers to start independent reading as well. But the magnificence of this book is not the story but the breathtaking illustrations. Poonam Mistry has been shortlisted for the prestigious Kate Greenway medal three times, and her art is inspired by her life itself. She weaves in her love for nature with her Indian roots to create deep, dark, intricate illustrations that will force you to stop and spend several minutes on the images before you turn the page. Each spread in this book can be easily framed in a child’s room — the art is that gorgeous. The swirls of the stars and the lightness of the feathers are somehow depicted through her illustrations and will make you yearn to add her other books to your library as well!
Buy this book for the story, but more for the stunning illustrations. I am planning to keep this one as a coffee table book.
If you think your child would enjoy this book, you can buy it here →
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