XIN XIN, Star of my book PANDA: The Last Panda at the Mexico City Zoo

 

Xin Xin and her mother Tohui at the Chapultepec Zoo, 1991

In 1991, I traveled to Mexico City with photographer Dick Hewett to research and photograph the pandas at the Chapultepec Zoo, home to the largest group of zoo pandas outside China, including Xin Xin, a one-year old baby panda, who became the star of our book, Panda (Morrow Junior Books, 1992). Xin Xin, now age 32, is the last surviving panda at the zoo.

I was surprised and pleased to find an article in the LA Times on Saturday Nov 26 about Xin Xin and the history of pandas at the Chapultepec Zoo.  Xin Xin is the granddaughter of Pe Pe and Ying Ying, the pandas given to Mexico by China in 1974 as part of their “panda diplomacy.” Since 1984, all pandas in foreign zoos have been on loan from China, and any baby pandas born from loaned animals since 1985 must be returned to China. So Xin Xin was unique in being able to stay in Mexico and grow up there.

My book, Panda, is part of the baby zoo animal series I did with Dick Hewett. Although the paper book is long out of print, Panda continues to be available as an ebook on Amazon and other sites.

Click here for an update April 2023 and lots of photos of Xin Xin and her keepers and fans at the Mexico City Zoo.

CSLA BLOG: Celebrating Children's Book Illustrators

I was delighted to discover that the CSLA Blog this month is featuring the image from my book A Panda's World that I donated for use on products in the Library Advocacy Store. Many thanks to the California School Library Foundation and to Dr. Lesley Farmer, Professor of Library Media at California State University Long Beach, for her lovely description of my work. I am just one of many children's book authors and illustrators who have participated in this project.

I encourage you to visit the Library Advocacy Store and treat yourself to a cup, bag, pillow and more, or buy gifts for your friends and family. Every purchase supports California libraries!

Panda Walking Print at Etsy

Illustration "A Panda Walking" from A Panda's World

Check out my giclee prints at my Etsy gallery! A Panda Walking is just one of many prints and cards available. Here is the description:

PRINT from original cut paper collage art created for "A Panda's World" (Picture Window Books, 2006.) Perfect for decorating a child's room! Or, for anyone who loves animals.

TITLE: "PANDA WALKING" limited edition fine art prints:# 1 of 50

SIZE: Image is 6.5"x10" with a 1" white border to allow for framing. It will slip into any store-bought 9"x12" frame for easy display. Other sizes available.

SCRATCH BOARD ART: Perfect for Black and White Animals and Other Subjects Too

Scratch board is the perfect medium for drawing pictures of black and white animals such as zebras and penguins, or for creating dramatic effects with any subject.  Using a sharp instrument to draw on the dark surface, the black layer is removed, revealing white underneath.

On one of my school visits I saw amazing scratch board artwork made by the children after reading my books A Zebra’s World and A Penguin’s World.  They had also done drawings from A Koala's World and A Kangaroo's World. Scratch board is also a great medium for depicting animals that are primarily active at night. You can buy scratch board at an art store, or you can create your own by coloring with crayon on heavy paper and than painting over it with India ink.  Scratch board comes in white or with colors underneath the black.

PANDA Now at StarWalk Kids as an E-Book

This December the StarWalk Kids Media eBook collection is adding even more eBooks by their authors and illustrators. Here is a list of some of the new entries for the month of December 2013, including my book PANDA, illustrated with photographs by Richard Hewett. Included are some suggestions for using these books to meet Common Core State Standards. If you are already a subscriber to StarWalk Kids, these books are automatically added to your collection at no additional cost. If you are not a subscriber, click here to subscribe or to sign up for a free trial.

PANDA (by Caroline Arnold, photographs by Richard Hewett)
Panda offers children a fascinating and detailed portrait of this gentle forest dweller, illustrated with powerful photographs by Richard Hewett. The clear text introduces young readers to this native of the bamboo forests in central China's mountainous highlands and describes the giant panda's unique physical characteristics. It discusses how Pandas are raised in zoos as part of the worldwide effort to save the species from extinction.
Ages 7-10.  
 
My book Panda is paired with another book with the same title Panda by Carol Bonner.  Here are some terrific suggestions for how these two books can be used in the classroom.

For grades 4-6, compare two informative but very different books about the giant panda.
You might read Susan Bonners' book aloud, showing the beautiful illustrations. Ask students to work with a thinking partner to revisit the text and come up with the most important life events in the life of a panda. Be sure to have them specify evidence from the text to support their thinking.

Then have students identify one life event they would like to know more about. Use the photo illustrated eBook Panda by Caroline Arnold to search for more detail about that event. Students can choose two words from Arnold's book to reflect their thinking about this subject. Support their thinking with examples from the text. (eg: Adulthood: "solitary," and "bamboo." Pandas are usually very solitary animals that eat bamboo and other wild grasses. It is a good thing they prefer to be alone; otherwise there could be a shortage of food.)

Compare the styles of the two authors. Would students choose one Panda book over another? For what purposes? Why do they think each author chose her style of presentation? What reaction were the authors trying to get from their readers? 

Read, Know, Grow: Support School Libraries

Some time ago, I donated a piece of my art from my book A Panda's World to help support school libraries. It has now been incorporated into the California Campaign for Strong School Libraries. Visit the Campaign’s Library Store and see how you can buy a t-shirt, mug and other items with great art (mine or someone else's) AND support school libraries! (I've already ordered a bunch of t-shirts and mugs!) Great for gifts or for yourself!

The Campaign is a public awareness program aimed at publicizing today’s role of school libraries and shining a spotlight on the new Model School Library Standards approved by the State Board of Education last fall. The standards include: 1) Standards for Students that delineate what students should know and be able to do at each grade level or grade span to enable students to succeed in school, higher education and the workforce, and; 2) base level staffing, resources and infrastructure, including technology, required for effective school library programs for students.

Patrick Nelson, CEO of California-based bookseller Mrs. Nelson’s Toy & Book Shop, used his vast network of contacts with authors and illustrators to facilitate the arrangement with the California School Library Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that oversees the Campaign. Last year, Nelson was recognized by the California School Library Association for his role in creating and developing a statewide school library advocacy campaign. For more information about the Campaign or the Campaign’s LIBRARY STORE, contact Connie Williams at info@csla.net.