Pandas' Earthquake Escape    by Phyllis J. Perry & Susan Detwiler Order:  USA  Can Arbordale, 2010 (2010) Softcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by J. A. Kaszuba Locke Two giant pandas, mother Liling and cub Tengfei (which means soaring high), awaken from their nap with puzzlement. Their tree is swaying back and forth, accompanied by a trembling of the ground. The earthquake causes the tree limb to break as the pandas fall. 'The earth shook again. The wall around the nature enclosure where they lived came crashing down ... The two frightened pandas ran off ... rocks knocking down trees, walls falling down, and people shouting. The two frightened pandas kept running.' Attempting to keep pace on the trail with his mother leading the way, Tengfei suddenly realizes she's not in front of him. A frightened Tengfei is 'all alone, lost, and didn't know what was happening. What was shaking his world?' When his mother reappears, they run 'deeper and deeper into the forest, farther and farther away from their home'. When the earthquake spreads, the two giant pandas hide out in a dark cave; by morning they are hungry and thirsty. Just as they began dining on plant bulbs and drinking from a mountain stream, 'the earth beneath their feet began moving again'. Wandering in the forest to try to find their way back home, Liling and Tengfei see five men coming towards them. The cub and mother are frightened even more. Will they survive the earthquake? Interaction activities are at the end of the book, include Endangered Giant Pandas, Life Cycle Sequencing, and Giant Panda Fun Facts. Information about earthquakes – Shake, Rattle & Roll - includes The Richter Scale and Magnitude Ranges, and Where in the World. Phyllis J. Perry renders a true-life story of giant pandas and threats to their wildlife refuge, and their instincts to survive. The giant pandas and their adventure are represented in shaded, alternating light and dark hues by illustrator Susan Detwiler. A large, two-faced page map represents the world's plates - Eurasian, North American, South American, and additional locations. Pandas' Earthquake Escape teaches about nature's threats to their well-being, and a mother's protection of her cub. The pictures call out to be touched, especially the black and white fur of the wondrous pandas. A true-life earthquake occurred in May of 2008 at the Wolong Panda Reserve marking the scale at 7.9 in Northern China. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews