The Year of the Panda [Paperback]

Miriam Schlein (Author), Kam Mak (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 1992 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Daxiong mao is rare and mysterious, like a god, living in the midst of the mountains.

Strange things are happening on Lu Yi's farm. First, some men from the Chinese government ask Lu Yi's father to sell the property that has belonged to the family for generations. Then a giant panda appears in a neighbor's field, A rare occurrence, given the farm's distance from the high-mountain bamboo forests that pandas inhabit.Lu Yi has a feeling that the two mysteries are somehow connected. And before long, an orphaned baby panda he finds in the' woods provides an answer. As the boy nurses the helpless animal back to health, he begins an adventure that may, well change his entire future.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

PW praised Schlein's "clear, concise narrative" about a Chinese boy who cares for an orphaned baby panda, adding, "Brief yet thought-provoking, this sensitively written novel is enhanced by Mak's stirring pencil drawings." Ages 7-10.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Lu Yi wonders why a daxiong mao (giant panda) has come down from the mist-shrouded mountains. Then he and his father discover a dead panda who has left behind a baby. Lu Yi rescues the orphan, and with the help of his family, cares for it. One day, a messenger arrives in their remote village in China with the story of the pandas' plight. The bamboo that the pandas feed on has died, as it does every 60 years, and, as it takes two to three years for the new shoots to grow sufficiently, there is a famine. The pandas have journeyed to the farms seeking food. When the messenger hears of the orphaned panda, he makes arrangments for Lu Yi and his charge to go to the Panda Rescue Center. There Lu Yi comes to understand the extent of the effort required to preserve the endangered daxiong mao and their habitat. This is a well-crafted, absorbing story. That it will also inform readers of the plight of the giant panda and of the efforts to insure its survival is an added bonus. The full-page black-and-white drawings add to the appeal. --Susan Middleton, LaJolla Country Day School, CA
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (October 30, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064403661
• ISBN-13: 978-0064403665
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #317,842 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #54 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Multicultural Stories > Asian & Asian American

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A review by 6 Fifth-Graders (TDL, SYZ, KL, RL, JH, BL), January 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Year of the Panda (Paperback)

We are six fifth graders that read a book called The Year of the Panda by Miriam Schlein. This book is mostly about a boy named Lu Yi and his panda. One day, the Chinese goverment sent two men to tell Lu Yi's parents to move, so it can use their lands to save the pandas. But Lu Yi's parents said "no". Later, Lu Yi and his father went to to the mountain to chop wood. Then they found a baby panda, brought him home, and gave it milk. Lu Yi named the panda, Su Lin. Then messengers came and said "Whoever finds a panda must bring it to the Rescue Center and you will get 300 yuan." Lu Yi didn't talk about the panda because he didn't want anyone to find out about Su Lin, but his father wants the reward of 300 yuan. So Lu Yi's father tells the messengers about Su Lin. The Chinese goverment were planning to drop food for the pandas because their bamboo was dying out. The Chinese goverment ask the villagers if it could use their lands for the Chinese government's plan. What would happen if the bamboo died out forever? Would Su Lin die if the bamboo dried out forever? Would the panda become extinct?

This story is very nice because we learned new information about pandas. For example, we learned that there are a lot of different colored bamboo. Also, pandas in Chinese are called daxiong mao. We enjoyed this book because it taught us a lesson. The lesson we learned is to take care of the endangered animals before they become extinct. We liked this book because the Chinese government cared about the animals. Some of us think Lu Yi did the right thing to keep Su Lin because he could save the panda for now. But some of us think Lu Yi did the wrong thing because it might have been dangerous to give the panda other milk. It might have killed Su Lin. We think Lu Yi is taking good care of the panda. We liked the part when Su Lin urinated on the bed because it was very humorous. We didn't like the part when Lu Yi had to give the panda to the Rescue Center because we felt sad that they would never see each other again.

We recommend this book to all ages of people but especially those interested in science. We think this book would be an appropniate book for people who enjoy pandas.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My Book, The Year of the Panada, March 27, 2003

By 

H. Sahebjame (Cerritos, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Year of the Panda (Paperback)

This book was a realy great book. I really liked it. It was about a little boy named Lu Yi who found a very rare Panda bear (and he named it Su Lin) in china called a Daxiong Mao. So he took it home and took care of it. But since that type of Panda was so rare these scientists in another counrtry were offering 300 yao(chinese money) for a Daxiong Mao.
So Lu Yi's father told him to give the bear to the scientists. So he decided to give it up. When they were going to take the bear , Lu Yi decided to go with them, only for a few days though. So the people there showed him the enviornment that he was going to live in. But Lu YI was going to miss him. so the scientist who was going to take care of Su Lin asked Lu Yi to stay but he refused.
I chose this book because it seemed like a good book to read. And plus it looked like an easy book to read. And when i read the back of the book and i liked it. It also looked very interesting.
I had a lot of favorite parts. One of them was when Lu Yi found the panda. That was my favorite part. I liked that part because that is were he found his pet Panda.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Animal Book, April 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Year of the Panda (Paperback)

If you like animals this is a very good book to read, especially if you love pandas. The story is set in China. I learned about how farmers in China don't always like Pandas, but how some people try to save them. The story is about a boy who is out cutting wood with his father and he finds a baby Panda. The story is all about what is the boy going to do with the Panda. I think this is a good book for both boys and girls. I'm in third grade and had no trouble reading it myself.