A Perfect Time For Pandas is the 48th book of the Magic Tree House Book Series.
Summary[]
Magically transported to southwest China to find the final object needed to break the spell on Merlin's beloved penguin, Jack and Annie take a side trip to the world's largest giant panda reserve.
Chapters[]
- The Fourth Thing
- Silly Food
- The Sleeping Dragon
- Get Suited Up
- Bing-Bing
- The Dragon Wakes
- Jack the Giant
- One Panda at a Time
- Totally All Right
- Panda Bread
- Breaking the Spell
- One Penguin at a Time
Plot[]
Jack had a dream about Teddy, Kathleen, and Penny. His dad woke him up for school, but he knew that today was the day they would find the fourth thing to break the petrification spell on Penny. Unfortunately, both he and Annie overslept, they decided to take the egg sandwiches their mom made saying they had a special project to do. With twenty-five minutes until school started, they raced to the magic tree house. Inside were the three ingredients: the rose emerald from India, the flower from the Swiss Alps, and the quill pen from President Lincoln. There was also a scroll from Teddy and Kathleen, it said they were going to China, like that time with the emperor. However, the two didn’t finish translating the rhyme, but they do know the fourth object.
A healthy food, grainy and good,
baked with love, tough as wood,
round in shape, the color of sand,
given to those who have lost their land.
Teddy and Kathleen told the kids they must return to Camelot once they found the object. They also left them one last potion; this one would make them grow five times their size for an hour. Jack and Annie thought that was way better than when they were small with cobras.
Jack and Annie arrived in Wulong Town, China wearing their own clothes and carrying Chinese money. They started their day by looking for the food described in the riddle. At a local restaurant, they tried to order bizarre foods like green bean jelly, chicken feet, and fried stinky tofu, but the waiter didn't seem to appreciate their humor. After awkwardly leaving, they consulted their guidebook and learned about Wulong's famous panda reserve. Excited, Annie wanted to visit the panda center, but Jack insisted on focusing on their mission.
They rented bikes and rode up a mountain highway to reach the center. Despite the dangerous ride, they finally arrived, only to find out that no one under the age of eighteen could enter without an adult. Annie, undeterred, snuck in with the group and listened to Dr. Ling, who explained the plight of endangered pandas. Jack reluctantly followed her into the center, where they learn about the center's efforts to protect pandas Jack reluctantly followed Annie into the panda center and they met Sylvia, a visitor from New York City. After receiving coveralls, shoes, and gloves, they were led into the panda nursery, where they saw a tiny newborn panda, which looked more like a fuzzy pink mouse than a panda. They then met some panda keepers, including Master Lee, who took them to Bing Bing's house, an eight-year-old panda. While cleaning the panda's house, they couldn't find Bing Bing until Annie spotted her up in a tree.
Master Lee explained that pandas are wild animals and not pets, and Jack and Annie were given clipboards to record Bing Bing’s behavior. The panda eventually came close, and Jack felt a deep, emotional connection with her. However, their time with the panda was short, and they were soon ushered out of the panda house by Master Lee.
On their way out, they spotted a group of playful panda cubs at the "panda kindergarten." Dr. Ling arrived to remind them that the rest of their group had left, and they rushed to catch up with the tour. After changing out of their volunteer clothes, Jack and Annie hopped on their bikes to return to Wulong Town, reminiscing about their experience with the pandas. Jack was eager to continue their mission, hoping to find the "healthy, tough, round food" they needed to help Penny. Their plans were interrupted by a strange rumbling and shaking in the air, Jack and Annie were caught in a powerful earthquake! A series of boulders crashed around them, and they took shelter in a rocky crevice. After the shaking stopped, they realized the earthquake had caused significant damage, blocking their way to both Wulong town and the panda center. Jack remembered the magic potion they had. They decided to use it and chose to head back to the panda center to check on the pandas.
After Jack drank the potion, he grew to giant size, with Annie still normal-sized. The two navigate through the destruction, stepping over boulders, trees, and debris, as they raced to reach the panda center. Along the way, Jack got stuck in a mudslide but managed to free them both. Despite the rain and mud, they finally arrived at the panda center, where the area has suffered severe damage. They struggled to cross the river to reach the entrance but managed to cling to debris. After an aftershock caused Jack to shrink back to his normal size, they scrambled to get inside, climbing over fallen branches and rocks. Once they reached the top, they found the staff working to clean up the mess. Master Lee and Dr. Ling are shocked to see them, and Annie cheerfully asked if they could help. Dr. Ling expressed and the pair is tasked with finding Bing Bing, who had gone missing. After searching, Jack and Annie found Bing Bing resting in the forest, they also discovered two smaller pandas, Rolly and Polly, stuck in a tree. They carefully rescued the cubs and brought them back to the center.
Master Lee was overjoyed to see Bing Bing safe, and Dr. Ling thanked Jack and Annie for their help. They took the cubs to a nursery, where they are fed and given milk to calm down. Dr. Ling then informed them that a helicopter was arriving with medical supplies and that they needed to help transport the cubs to a safe reserve. Jack and Annie volunteered to accompany the cubs on the helicopter. Before they left, Jack said goodbye to Bing Bing, bringing some "panda bread" to show Annie. Master Lee shared a heartfelt moment with the giant panda. As the helicopter arrived, Jack, Annie, and Dr. Ling prepared the cubs for their first flight. They were ready to head to the next phase of their mission, helping the pandas and the devastated region recover from the disaster. A helicopter flew over the damaged bridge and highway, heading toward a field where emergency teams were working. Jack and Annie carried the panda cubs out of the helicopter, where a group of women from the panda center greeted them. After handing the cubs over, the women suggested Jack and Annie follow one of them to locate their grandmother.
However, Jack and Annie had already planned to meet her in a nearby restaurant. They ran through the busy field, and Jack revealed that they no longer needed to find the special food, as they already had it—panda bread, which Jack had learned about when visiting Bing Bing. Jack believed the pandas would survive because people took responsibility for their care, made healthy food for them, and worked hard to protect them. Annie agreed, and the two set off to find the treehouse. They reached the grove of trees where the treehouse stood, and once inside, Jack placed the panda bread alongside other items they'd gathered. Outside, helicopters roared as they reflected on their earlier adventures. Jack then expressed his excitement about returning to Camelot, where Penny needed help. After receiving a note from Teddy and Kathleen, Jack and Annie traveled to Camelot, arriving before dawn.
They soon reunited with Teddy and Kathleen, who had been waiting for them. The four special items Jack and Annie had gathered were ready to help break the spell on Penny, who had been lifeless for some time. As the four items were placed before Penny, Teddy performed a spell to revive her. Despite waiting anxiously, Penny didn't come back to life. Teddy, devastated, explained that his failure to care for Penny in Merlin's absence weighed heavily on him. As Teddy cried, Penny suddenly began to stir, her color returning and her eyes blinking. The spell had worked, Penny was coming back to life! Teddy joyfully reunited with Penny, the penguin, expressing gratitude and marveling at the miracle. As they celebrated, Kathleen reminded them that it was time to leave because Merlin and Morgan were returning from Avalon. She instructed Teddy to bring Penny with them. As they made their way back to the treehouse, Kathleen shared that the four objects Jack and Annie had brought didn’t break the spell. The last rhyme translated was:
When these four things come together
with the one who cast the spell,
the spell will then be broken
and all again be well.
This meant that the objects actually helped Teddy awaken the feelings necessary to do so. Teddy apologized for the trouble he caused, but Kathleen reassured him that their mission had brought good deeds along the way. Before parting, Jack and Annie bid farewell to Penny, and Teddy thanks them for their help.
Once back in the treehouse, they are transported instantly back to Frog Creek, where time has not passed. Afterward, they realized they forgot their breakfast sandwiches, which are now cold. Despite that, they enjoyed their sandwiches and reflect on how they helped protected various creatures and the environment, including pandas, penguins, and ocean life. Jack and Annie agreed that sometimes progress can be made "one penguin at a time," before heading off to school.
Notes on time and place settings[]
Trivia[]
- This is the second book where Jack and Annie visit China, the first one being Day of the Dragon King.