A Baby Panda is Born

written by Kristin Ostby, illustrated by Lucia Washburn

This "All Aboard Science Reader" is intended for kids who are reading with help. It has short sentences and simple vocabulary, and tells the story of Mei Lan, a panda born in 2007 at the Atlanta Zoo.

The book has many extremely cute illustrations showing Mei Lan's progression from a tiny pink hairless critter "the size of a stick of butter" into a 4 month old, black and white bear recognizable as a panda.

After telling Mei Lan's story, the book goes on to give information about the life of pandas, where they live in the wild, what they eat, and challenges they face that are leading them to extinction. The book is never preachy and does not assign blame to bad people for invading their habitat, but delicately and clearly communicates the dangers these beautiful creatures face in ways that children can understand.

I would use this book in a 1st or 2nd grade classroom, but older children could also benefit from the factual information it contains. It would be a good book to give to a reluctant nonfiction reader, because it is an easy read and yet contains a compelling story and connections to current events.