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39th out of 93 books
—
205 voters
Mrs. Harkness and the Panda
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...more
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...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
March 13th 2012
by Knopf Books for Young Readers
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This is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book. It reveals the true story behind America’s first panda and the woman who brought the panda to us. In the early 1930’s hardly anyone had ever seen a panda and some people didn’t believe they actually existed. There was no internet or television for people to see that panda’s exist like today. Mrs. Harkness’ husband set off to China with the goal of bringing a live panda to the United States but he died and did not accomplish his goal. Mr...more
We all know what a panda is, but who is Mrs. Harkness? She is not a household name, but she did something that was extraordinary for her time.
During the 1930′s, Mrs. Harkness was a dress designer and socialite living in New York City. Her husband heads off to exotic lands to bring back rare animals for zoos. Even though people aren’t even sure they really exist, he goes to China to find a panda. When he dies there, Mrs. Harkness decides to finish his expedition. What an adventure!
As a round II C...more
During the 1930′s, Mrs. Harkness was a dress designer and socialite living in New York City. Her husband heads off to exotic lands to bring back rare animals for zoos. Even though people aren’t even sure they really exist, he goes to China to find a panda. When he dies there, Mrs. Harkness decides to finish his expedition. What an adventure!
As a round II C...more
In the 1930s Mrs. Harkness took up her husband’s (William Harkness) dream of mounting an expedition to capture a live panda and bring it back to the United States. At that time it was highly unusual for a woman to become an explorer, but Mrs. Harkness didn’t care. Not many people had seen pandas outside of China (some refused to believe the animals actually existed!), and Mrs. Harkness needed all the help she could get, so she enlisted the services of Quentin Young – a Chinese man who knew panda...more
Imagine that, two months after you finally marry your dear friend of ten years, he goes off to Asia to look for giant pandas. And, because you are a woman, and considered too "dainty" to travel, you have to stay behind even though you will miss him terribly and you would really love to see China and see pandas. Then imagine that, over a year into the journey, your husband dies! This is the tragedy and heartache that befell Mrs Harkness in the mid-1930s. Where others may have crumpled, Mrs. Harkn...more
In 1934, most of the world had never seen a panda, and many, even in China, believed they were only mystical creatures. Mrs. Harkness gets her husband, an explorer, to set sail for China to capture a live panda.
Sadly, Mr. Harkness dies while on his quest. Mrs. Harkness, despite many people telling her how inappropriate it would be for a lady to do this, takes over the expedition. She has her husbands clothes and boots cut down to fit her, finds a guide, and sets out to capture a panda to bring b...more
Sadly, Mr. Harkness dies while on his quest. Mrs. Harkness, despite many people telling her how inappropriate it would be for a lady to do this, takes over the expedition. She has her husbands clothes and boots cut down to fit her, finds a guide, and sets out to capture a panda to bring b...more
Pandas! Who doesn't love cute pandas and wouldn't want to read about them? Alicia Potter's introduction to Ruth McCombs Harkness, who brought the first panda to America, is supplemented by the bright colorful illustrations of Melissa Sweet. But upon reading the book, I couldn't ignore the feeling that the author, illustrator and publisher all missed wonderful opportunities to really educate children with this book. Alicia Potter's text is wordy without providing many actual details of Ruth Harkn...more
An interesting telling of a little known story of how the first panda came to the U.S. This was in the late 1930s, a time when it was astonishing for a woman to head off on an expedition. The story is brief since it is aimed at early elementary ages. As an adult reader, I found myself wanting to know more, but this book is about right for the intended audience. More could have done to explain how different China must have been to the U.S. and how different traveling was (no mention of how long i...more
14 October 2011 MRS. HARKNESS AND THE PANDA by Alicia Potter and Melissa Sweet, ill., Knopf, March 2012, 40p., ISBN: 978-0-375-844448-1
This was when pandas really caught the attention of so many of us Baby Boomers:
"One highlight of panda diplomacy was the Chinese government's gift of two pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, to the United States in 1972 after President Richard Nixon's historic trip to China in 1972. (President Nixon reciprocated by sending back a pair of musk oxen.) Upon the panda...more
This was when pandas really caught the attention of so many of us Baby Boomers:
"One highlight of panda diplomacy was the Chinese government's gift of two pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, to the United States in 1972 after President Richard Nixon's historic trip to China in 1972. (President Nixon reciprocated by sending back a pair of musk oxen.) Upon the panda...more
In 1934, William Harkness set off to China to bring the first panda back to the United States. After he died during the expedition, his wife, Ruth Harkness, decided to plan an expedition of her own. She traveled by ship to China, hired a guide, and traveled up the Yangtze River. And she found a baby panda, returning to 'panda-monium' for Su Lin ("a little bit of something very cute") in the United States.
I loved this clearly told historical account of how the first panda came to the United Stat...more
I loved this clearly told historical account of how the first panda came to the United Stat...more
Sep 17, 2012
Samantha Van
added it
Title: Mrs. Harkness and the Panda
Author: Alicia Potter
Artistic Media: Mixed Media
Brief Summary
Ruth Harkness inherits an expedition from her husband to find a panda. She defeats all odds and finds a baby panda in the wild. She brings it back and finds a home for the panda in the zoo.
Artistic Critique
Mixed Media Style: I loved how there are many illustrations that showed Asian art styles. Such as the paneled art and the Chinese symbols.
Endpapers: the story started in these first couple papers....more
Author: Alicia Potter
Artistic Media: Mixed Media
Brief Summary
Ruth Harkness inherits an expedition from her husband to find a panda. She defeats all odds and finds a baby panda in the wild. She brings it back and finds a home for the panda in the zoo.
Artistic Critique
Mixed Media Style: I loved how there are many illustrations that showed Asian art styles. Such as the paneled art and the Chinese symbols.
Endpapers: the story started in these first couple papers....more
Ruth Harkness in 1936 did something that most women would not have done. She left her home and went to China to find a baby panda bear. Her husband died during an earlier exploration (due to cancer) and Harkness wanted to finish that search despite being a woman.
Now though we don't advocate going to another country to capture an animal, in 1936 attitudes were different. Harkness's actions provided many people information about pandas that wasn't available before.
I did find it funny that she to...more
Now though we don't advocate going to another country to capture an animal, in 1936 attitudes were different. Harkness's actions provided many people information about pandas that wasn't available before.
I did find it funny that she to...more
In 1934, not many people had seen a panda bear. One exception to this was explorer William Harvest Harkness, who in September of that year sailed for China with the hopes of bringing a live panda back to the United States. Unfortunately, he died before accomplishing his goal. When his wife learned of his death, she decided to take up the gauntlet, and made plans for her own expedition, in spite of criticisms from friends and family. Potter's picture book narrative of her adventure, combined with...more
In 1934, Mr. Harkness set out to China to bring the first live panda to the United States. Unfortunately, he did not survive his journey. So his young widow, Mrs. Harkness decided to set out and complete her husband’s dream. Mrs. Harkness was not an adventurer; she designed tea gowns. She knew that the journey would be hard, maybe even impossible. But she set off for China and met up with Quentin Young, a man who had seen pandas and agreed to help her. They packed carefully for the journey, even...more
When you have read a lot of children's nonfiction as I have, you might start to think you've heard all the good stories. Then a book like Mrs. Harkness and the Panda arrives at your door and you happily learn there are many more stories to tell.
Ruth Harkness never expected to venture very far away from her comfortable home. But then her husband died and she felt a need to carry on his work, to find and bring a panda home to America.
The reader will love following Mrs. Harkness' difficult journey...more
Ruth Harkness never expected to venture very far away from her comfortable home. But then her husband died and she felt a need to carry on his work, to find and bring a panda home to America.
The reader will love following Mrs. Harkness' difficult journey...more
Terrific story and photos about a woman who brought the first panda from China. Kids asked good questions and were curious as to how long pandas live, why Mrs. Harkness gave her wedding ring to Quentin, and it being wrong to take the baby panda from the wild. Make sure you read the "author's note" that addresses the last question.
The collage materials used by the illustrator give a flavor for China from the writing to rice paper framing water color and colored penciled pictures. The addition of...more
The collage materials used by the illustrator give a flavor for China from the writing to rice paper framing water color and colored penciled pictures. The addition of...more
Ruth Harkness designed tea gowns. She ended up being an explorer, going where few westerners had ever been in China and ultimately bringing a baby panda to the U.S. in 1937. She wasn't particularly athletic or adventurous, wasn't a zoologist, and women just didn't do things like that back then. However, when her explorer husband, William, died on his expedition, she decided to carry on in his memory. Her incredible determination helped bring pandas to the world's attention and people gradually s...more
I really like Melissa Sweet's artistic style (I first saw her work in Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade). The style here is similar--collage, gentle illustrations, mixed media. The story charmed my children: a lady goes off in the 1930s to find a panda and bring it home to the United States. Early conservation efforts, heroism/bravery under hardship, and cute baby animals--no wonder it's a winner with kids!
This gloriously illustrated picture book biography is about Ruth Harkness, credited with introducing the first panda to the Western world. According to the book, up to this time (1930s) the panda was a mythical creature much like the unicorn. After Mrs. Harkness' explorer husband died of cancer in the middle of his expedition to find a panda, she decided to carry on with his mission. Though the story is much simplified for young readers, how she manages to succeed is fascinating and readers may...more
This simple picture book tells the story of Ruth Harkness, who completed her deceased husband's expedition to find and bring back the first panda to the United States. Friends and strangers doubted her ability and sanity -- a woman traveling to China in 1936 was highly unusual, but Mrs. Harkness succeeded and caused 'pandamonium'. Melissa Sweet's illustrations are the star of this story. The author's note is essential to address the questions contemporary readers may have about the morality of t...more
A sweet nonfiction picture book about Ruth Harkness's quest to bring the first panda to the United States in 1936. I am a huge fan of Melissa Sweet's mixed media illustrations. Here, she uses Chinese characters, vintage postcards, and maps to great effect. Back matter includes a timeline and an author's note that points out that today we might question whether it was right to take a panda from China, but that before the advent of videos and the internet, the only way many people could learn abou...more
I love Melissa Sweet and I love the art she produced for this book! (And of course I have always LOVED pandas!) Another interesting story I knew nothing about and had never even heard of! It would perhaps leave you wanting to know more about Ruth Harkness or more about pandas and the conservation of the species. What was the real reason the Harknesses wanted to bring a panda to the U.S.? Timeline in the back and some background in the author's note. I would've liked more. Guess I might need to d...more
This book tells the story of the explorer, Ruth Harkness, and her quest to finish her husband's expedition to find and bring back a panda bear. In 1934 few people had ever seen a panda bear. In fact, according to the author's note at the end of the book, these "bears" were often considered mythical beasts by scientists, like unicorns. Mrs. Harkness, along with her guide, Yang Di Lin (known as Quentin Young), found and brought back a panda cub from the wild mountains of China. The cub found a hom...more
Mrs. Harkness is a fascinating, intrepid character and Melissa Sweet's mixed media illustrations are breathtakingly gorgeous but the story left me disturbed. Mrs. Harkness snatches the baby panda from its habitat. Was it an orphan or taken away from its mother? And then in the timeline, its revealed the panda died after little more than a year in captivity. I understand it was different time and people thought differently about animal welfare but it leaves me troubled and I wonder if young reade...more
This book is awful. It's not the author's fault- it's history's.
Let me explain. I had no idea what this book was about. I've never heard of its protagonist, Mrs. Harkness, before. I just ordered all the kid's books from my library that had the word "panda" in the title for the heck of it. The illustrations were beautiful, and I was intrigued by the subject matter- here's a woman in the 1930s who (ostensibly) cares about animals and wants the world to know about pandas. Do you know how she does...more
Let me explain. I had no idea what this book was about. I've never heard of its protagonist, Mrs. Harkness, before. I just ordered all the kid's books from my library that had the word "panda" in the title for the heck of it. The illustrations were beautiful, and I was intrigued by the subject matter- here's a woman in the 1930s who (ostensibly) cares about animals and wants the world to know about pandas. Do you know how she does...more
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 wildernes...more
Reading this shortly after Georgia in Hawaii (with Minette's Feast waiting on my desk) I am finding myself becoming really interested in the picture book biography genre, mainly because of everything that must be left out in a work so abbreviated.
How much context can you skip over and still leave a story that's pretty much true? How fair is it to kids? Is it worse to not tell any part of the story at all, or to tell so little that you run the risk of misrepresenting the facts?
How much context can you skip over and still leave a story that's pretty much true? How fair is it to kids? Is it worse to not tell any part of the story at all, or to tell so little that you run the risk of misrepresenting the facts?
Apr 01, 2012
Paul Hankins
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
april-2012-reads,
illustrated-text,
mr-hankins-says-don-t-miss,
non-fiction-illustrated-text,
picture-book-celebrate-the-self,
picture-book-heros-journey-possibil,
picture-book-multicultural,
picture-book-multimodal-multigenre,
picture-book-non-fiction,
picture-book-non-fiction-historical,
picture-books-stunning-art-illust
In the newer tradition (?) of ME. . .JANE, Alicia Potter has rendered the story of Mrs. Harkness and the 1943 Expedition to China that brought back the first Panda to the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.
Don't look now, Caldecott predictors, but Melissa Sweet is back in the race again in 2012 for her gentle, whimsical, multi-modal stylings found within this newer picture book. Sweet's consistency of style and approach will make her a heavily sought after artist (as if she isn't already).
Don't look now, Caldecott predictors, but Melissa Sweet is back in the race again in 2012 for her gentle, whimsical, multi-modal stylings found within this newer picture book. Sweet's consistency of style and approach will make her a heavily sought after artist (as if she isn't already).
This is a dramatic and true tale of a woman who completes her husband's quest to bring a panda to the United States. I liked that the story gave us a glimpse into life in the 1930s and explains that pandas were virtually unknown to the general populace at that time. I also liked that Ruth was willing to fly in the face of popular opinion that women were too dainty and unable to attempt such an endeavor.
I was very concerned that the story tells of the expedition taking a baby panda from the wild...more
I was very concerned that the story tells of the expedition taking a baby panda from the wild...more
I really liked this book, really beautiful illustrations. My kids (ages 5 & 7) really enjoyed it and spent a lot of time on each page taking in the pictures. My daughter said she thought that Mrs. Harkness was really brave :) They asked a lot of thoughtful questions about it too, so we had good discussions along the way. I thought some of it might be a bit over their heads, but they were right there the whole time. We really enjoyed it.
This is a beautifully illustrated and engaging biography of the intrepid Ruth Harkness, who took over her late husband's quest to bring back a panda from China in 1936. Today we would question her actions in snatching a baby panda from the wild, but the World Wildlife Fund organization credits Harkness with "evoking sympathy for the plight of the species." The book can also be commended for its portrait of a determined and resourceful woman.
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Sep 02, 2012 06:33pm