May. 15th, 2022

alobear: (Default)
I read two books involving pandas this week!

Big Panda and Tiny Dragon, by James Norbury, is a beautifully illustrated selection of reflective lessons about friendship, self-care, and how to appreciate the little things in life. It's in the same vein as Charlie Mackesy, but with perhaps a bit less scope but also a lot more tea. It's gorgeous and very heartfelt - and I love both the panda and the dragon in equal measure. I don't think I'll ever be able to get enough of these kinds of books, so I'm glad there are more out there to discover.

The Panda, The Cat and The Dreadful Teddy Bear, by Paul Magrs, is a direct parody of Charlie Mackesy and is mostly genius and hilarious. There are few moments that felt a bit off to me, but overall, I absolutely loved it. I also love Charlie Mackesy, but sometimes I'm definitely of a mind with the panda in this book, that unending affirmations and constant self-reflection can get a bit wearing. I firmly believe there is a place for both types of books, and both types of attitudes in this world, and also within my own mind and heart. Gloriously irreverent, but with enough self-awareness and respect for the original not to be offensive.

This week, I also watched Dog, starring Channing Tatum as a veteran, going on a road trip to take an army service dog to the funeral of her handler and is friend. It's pretty slight, very predictable, a bit weird in places, and not subtle in any way at all. I also didn't find Briggs to be entirely sympathetic, but then neither was Lulu the dog, and I think that was at least partially the point. Tatum did an excellent job of carrying almost the entire film, along with the dog. And it totally got me in the feels at the end, even though I knew what was coming and could see how it was trying to manipulate me.

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