Camp Panda

March 1, 2018
Deforestation, poaching, pollution, human overpopulation, and climate change have severely damaged the habitats and population of giant pandas in their native China, but government-supported conservation efforts are helping bring back a species that is considered a national treasure. Thimmesh explains the work of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in the Wolong Nature Reserve, which uses a three-stage program to reintroduce pandas to the wild. The goal of the program is to create a self-sustaining wild panda population, one that can survive and breed without human intervention. Since baby pandas are not born with an innate set of survival skills, CCRCGP scientists must teach the cubs those skills, such as how to find food, avoid predators, and seek shelter. To mitigate human contact with cubs in training, scientists must wear giant panda costumes rubbed all over with excrement and urine so that they look and smell like giant pandas when handling and interacting with cubs. Thimmesh acknowledges critics of this ambitious, expensive program but explains that the panda has become an adored iconic species, and conservationists can build upon their popularity to "broaden public awareness and support for a wider spectrum of conservation concerns." Complementing Thimmesh's thoughtful, engagingly written text are many arrestingly adorable color photographs of pandas in training and in the wild. A timely, uplifting story. (photos, source notes) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

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May 1, 2018

Gr 5-7-Many have seen videos of humans in panda suits tending to the needs of smaller, actual pandas, and they may have asked, why are they dressed that way? Thimmesh's new book answers that and more as she delves in the conservation efforts of various groups in China, including the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, also known as Camp Panda. The Sibert Medal-winning author begins with an overview of pandas and explains why they are at risk of becoming extinct. Readers learn that just as humans have played an important role in endangering the species, they're playing a significant role in helping to protect the panda and other animals, too. The costumes, by the way, help to limit a young panda's exposure to humans so that the animal will more easily adapt to the wild and be wary of people, which is key to their survival. The text is well written with age-appropriate vocabulary, though quotes set in italics are a bit jarring. Every spread includes at least one full-color photo, and the eye-catching panda photos are primarily from the conservation groups. The back matter includes a page inviting readers to learn more about and to take part in conservation efforts. VERDICT Animal conservation is always a welcome subject in libraries, and the depth and breadth of this book make it a first purchase.-Marie Drucker, Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, NY

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2018
Grades 5-7 *Starred Review* In September 2016, giant pandas were downgraded from a threatened species to a vulnerable one. This comeback was due to human intervention: decades of conservation efforts have led to a burgeoning wild panda population. Of course, it was human intervention that led to the decline of their numbers in the first place?poaching, pollution, and human population booms all contributed to shrinking panda numbers. In clear, fact-packed prose, Sibert medalist Thimmesh (Team Moon, 2006) examines the panda reintroduction program that began in China's Wolong Nature Reserve. After a rocky start, the program settled on its ultimate goal: to prepare panda cubs for eventual release by eliminating human contact (workers dressed up in panda suits so cubs wouldn't become desensitized to humans) and preparing them for everything they might experience in the wild. Thimmesh folds in facts about the effects pandas have on their ecosystem, other endangered species across the globe, and the trial and error inherent with the scientific method. Frequent detailed pictures of pandas and their caretakers complement the measured text, and extensive back matter?including a subsection on what the average person can do to help conservation efforts?makes this an excellent resource for researchers, STEM-lovers, and aspiring environmentalists.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)