Looking For Miza

Authors:  Juliana Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Paula Kahumbu

Illustrators: Juliana Hatkoff and Isabella Hatkoff 

Pages: 30

Publisher: Turtle Pond Publications LLC.

ISBN: 0-545-08540-3

Price: $16.99

Reading Level: Grades 1-3 (ages 6-9)

 This book is about a family of gorillas in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Miza was a very curious gorilla that liked to explore. One day she decided to go and explore the forest, but she never came back. So, her mother came looking for her and sadly she got lost, too. Miza’s father, Kabirizi, being the leader of the largest family of mountain gorillas in Virunga Park had to take care of 31 gorillas, and make sure that they were safe. Nevertheless, Kabirizi went looking for Miza and Miza’s mother. For a couple of weeks later there was no sign of Miza or her mother, until one day Kabirizi saw Miza in a bush.

         I think that this book should be read to little kids, because they would enjoy learning about gorillas. But personally I think that 9 to 11 year olds would like this book if they picked it up off the shelf. Little kids in grades 1 to 3 would not understand the purpose of the book. They would just look at the pictures and say, “Oh look monkeys!” But if you actually sit down and slowly read the book to them, and try to explain the story to them, then they’ll start to understand it better.

 Hits: 180   Read Comments (0)

Giant Pandas

Authors: John Seidensticker & Susan Lumpkin

Pages: 186

Publisher: HarperCollins

ISBN: 978-0-06-120578-1

Price: $19.95

Level of Difficulty: This book may be too challenging for young children. It is a good book for parents or teachers to read out loud.      

Did you know that pandas eat mostly bamboo, but sometimes they eat small deer? Giant pandas are viewed by the world as cute, cuddly teddy bears. Authors John Seidensticker and Susan Lumpkin prove that they are much more than that.

The writing style of the author is factual, while still able to entertain the reader. A child would appreciate having this story read to them, because it might be a little too hard for them to read on their own. Every page of this 186-page story includes a photograph of a live panda, either in a zoo or in the wild. There is a helpful index that makes it easy and quick to look up a specific piece of information. 

Some of the information in the book will be surprising to readers. “A newborn panda is the size of a stick of butter” is just one example of a shocking passage in the book. By reading this book, you can learn about giant pandas and how they are born and live, whether in a zoo, or out in the wild. It also describes why giant pandas are endangered, and the factors that contribute to this The lives of many specific pandas are detailed, including the Smithsonian National Zoo’s Tai Shan, who was born in 2006. 

Another theme of this book is ecology because the habitats of giant pandas are described—where they live and the environment that is necessary for pandas to survive.

This book will fulfill all of your panda bear knowledge needs.

 Hits: 215   Read Comments (0)