Mrs. Harkness and the Panda

K-Gr 2—In 1934, the Western world had never seen a panda, so William Harkness set off from the United States in an effort to bring one back from China. He died during the expedition. His widow picked up on the cause and went to China herself, something unprecedented for a woman at that time. Once there, she paired up with a local guide; had the right clothing and shoes made; packed medicine, guns, and more into 22 pieces of luggage; and took the long, harsh journey into the country's interior. They eventually found an abandoned baby panda. She brought it back to America where it ended up at the Brookfield Zoo, just outside Chicago. That panda is now a mounted exhibit at the Field Museum. This is a gorgeous book. The illustrations are a combination of small and large watercolor drawings, background collages using decorative Chinese papers, floral prints, maps, and Chinese lettering, as well as a few photographs. This little gem will be perfect for one-on-one sharing and for those second-grade biography assignments. It's simply stunning.—Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI