Mrs. Harkness and the Panda
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5.0 • 3 Ratings
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
In 1934, Ruth Harkness had never seen a panda bear. Not many people in the world had.
But soon the young Mrs. Harkness would inherit an expedition from her explorer husband: the hunt for a panda. She knew that bringing back a panda would be hard. Impossible, even. But she intended to try.
So she went to China, where she found a guide, built traps, gathered supplies, and had explorers' clothes made—unheard of for a woman in those days. Then she set out up the Yangtze River and into the wilderness. What she discovered would awe America: an adorable baby panda she named Su Lin, which means "a little bit of something very cute."
With breathtaking illustrations from Caldecott Honor artist Melissa Sweet, this little-known true story shares the tale of an adventurous woman who was bold and brave—and the unforgettable journey that helped shape American attitudes toward wildlife.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Potter (Fritz Danced the Fandango) and Sweet (Balloons over Broadway) tell the little-known story of American fashion designer Ruth Harkness, who intrepidly trekked through China in 1936 to bring the first live panda back to the U.S. Engaging mixed-media illustrations set a quiet, sophisticated tone, perhaps a nod to Harkness's socialite status (not explicitly mentioned, but hinted at in vignettes showing Harkness among well-attired friends). Sweet's inspired collages brim with a sense of time and place: patterned and textured torn-paper backgrounds serve as canvases for several scenes, while one spread shows a small steamer journeying over faded maps and old postcards. With help, Harkness returns with a baby panda she names Su Lin. A chronology reveals that Su Lin dies of pneumonia after less than a year and a half in captivity; Harkness also dies young, but not before she revisits China and brings home a second panda, a mate for Su Lin (both pandas turned out to be male). However, the tale concludes on a positive note, celebrating one woman's steadfast and pioneering spirit. Ages 5 8.
