Bei Bei Goes Home

November 1, 2021
Grades 2-4 In 2015, at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, twin cubs were born to Mei Xiang, a giant panda. Though one cub did not survive, the other grew and thrived. His name is Bei Bei, meaning "precious treasure" in Mandarin Chinese. The first half of this fully illustrated book follows the cub through his first year, having health checks with the zoo staff, learning to climb trees, beginning to eat bamboo, and curiously watching visitors. The book's second half shows him separated from his mother and living independently at the zoo after 18 months and, as a 4-year-old, moving to China. While the use of many clear color photos is an asset in introducing Bei Bei and his surroundings to viewers, the light, bamboo-patterned overlay on some shots is distracting. The text, captions, and sidebars carry basic information and fun facts about giant pandas, including a discussion of China's successful, worldwide panda breeding and reintroduction program and an explanation of what makes pandas look so endearing. An appealing introduction to the giant panda.

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December 1, 2021

Gr 2-4-In August 2015, the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC, celebrated the arrival of a baby giant panda named Bei Bei. Through decades of research and a collaboration with panda experts in China, American zoologists had the knowledge necessary to ensure that Bei Bei survived and thrived. Bei Bei quickly became a celebrity around the world, and his success story accomplished another step in the ongoing process of preserving the beloved species. Complex sentences make up the paragraphs describing Bei Bei's behaviors and history, informing children of the many considerations involved in protecting pandas worldwide. Full-color photographs appear alongside the text, drawing in readers with their vivid and striking visuals. Even before children are able to absorb the entirety of the text, the images will grab their attention and inspire them to learn more. Panda facts appear throughout and use Bei Bei's story as a springboard to educate about pandas in general. Though there is no glossary or index, readers will nonetheless learn about the giant panda through the story of Bei Bei and his appeal to people around the globe. VERDICT An informative and eye-catching book that is well suited to confident elementary school-age readers with an interest in pandas.-Mary Lanni, Douglas County Lib., CO

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Starred review from October 1, 2021
In the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., a panda cub grows up. Bardoe documents the early life of Bei Bei, one of the National Zoo's most recent panda cubs, from a tiny ultrasound shadow in his mother's womb to a bamboo grove in a Conservation and Research Center in Sichuan, China. Liberally illustrated with Smithsonian Institution images, this photobiography takes a close-up, intimate look at a panda in captivity. Like pandas in zoos all over the world, those born in Washington are officially Chinese; at the age of 4, they return to China to be part of an effort to promote panda recovery in the wild there. In the meantime, these charismatic animals draw flocks of visitors, in person and online. Bardoe's thoughtfully crafted presentation chronicles important events in Bei Bei's first four years with a headline and one to two paragraphs of text alongside a column of panda facts. Opposite each page of text is a page of photos (or, sometimes, a single, full-bleed image) with informative captions. The straightforward text is sprinkled with images as well. The pictures and information are well chosen for child appeal. The result is a title that will probably have considerable charm even to nonreaders. Final pages discuss pandas in the wild, their attraction for humans, and ways readers can help. Definitely deserves a spot, even on a well-stocked panda shelf. (Nonfiction. 6-9)

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