"High on a mist-wrapped mountain,
cradled in a leafy nest,
Panda holds her newborn cub
gently in her giant paw.
Small as a pinecone,
pink as a blob of
wriggling sunset,
he sinks, squawking, into
his mother's fur
until her warm milk
fills his mouth."
The cover illustration of a book for children says so much about what they might expect when they open it. The gentle feelings evoked on the cover of this lovely book do much to encourage young readers to take a chance. Once they are inside, they will not be disappointed.
While learning about the birth and development of a young panda, they are also enveloped in the warmth of the relationship between mother and child. The mother tends to her own needs when time allows and this assures that her cub will get the care and nurturing it needs to grow strong. As the cub grows and changes and their food supply is depleted, the mother must lead her cub on a journey to a new home.
Once that journey begins they encounter hardship and danger...from the cold, lack of food, predators and their environment. The mother is persistent in moving forward to a new mountain with abundant bamboo. There, they are safe and well fed. When villagers approach with their axes and begin chopping down nearby trees the mother panda, once again, leads her young cub toward a new home.
Along with the story, the author includes text to further inform his audience. Using two fonts helps young readers separate the story from this additional information. A simple index gives them a quick route back to anything of special interest. The artwork is gentle and full of warmth, and the perfect accompaniement to its text.
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