Pandas!

When she was little, my sister was obsessed with pandas. Our yearly visits to Washington, DC always included a stop at the National Zoo to see Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, and she collected assorted panda paraphernalia like sheets, a desk lamp, a light switch cover, wall art, stuffed animals, and a Halloween costume. To this day, her beloved plush “Pandy” (or is it “Pandie”?) sits comfy on her bed in our parents’ house.

When it came time to buy my sister a baby shower gift, I wanted to include something panda-related (in addition to a necessity off her baby registry). For the shower her husband’s family hosted on Saturday, all guests were asked to bring with them a children’s book to shelve on the bookcase my sister’s father-in-law built for the nursery. Rather than pick a traditional title like Goodnight Moon, I chose Noodle Loves to Drive, a touch-and-feel board book featuring — what else? — a cartoon panda.

However, I couldn’t stop at just one Noodle book. A) They are just too darn cute and B) Amazon was offering a buy three, get one free deal! So at the small friends-only baby shower my mom and I threw on Sunday, I presented my sister Noodle Loves Bedtime, Noodle Loves to Eat, and Noodle Loves to Cuddle. I paired the board books with a wooden Peek-a-Boo Panda by Melissa & Doug that I know my nephew will love because Levi would have loved it.

(What can I say? I’m a sucker for themed gifts.)

 

Know a toddler, baby, or mom-to-be who loves pandas? Besides panda books, here are some more adorable panda-related gifts for little ones (clockwise from top left): Happy Trails Panda Plush Rocking Animal, Vans Classic Slip-On, Melissa & Doug Giant Panda, Panda Music PJ Set.