The Legend of the Panda

by Linda Granfield, Song Nan Zhang (Illustrator)

A timeless tale about a beloved animal

One of the world’s most beloved and reclusive animals, the panda is almost as mysterious today as it was thousands of years ago. The original Chinese folk tale of how the panda came to have its distinctive black-and-white coat is a story of love, bravery and the sacrifice of a young shepherdess. Illustrator Song Nan Zhang has drawn upon his experiences touring the silk road region of Tibet to create the gloriously colourful illustrations that depict the ancient Wolong Valley in Sichuan province. As retold by master historian Linda Granfield, The Legend of the Panda is augmented with fascinating information about panda bears and the efforts to save them. A book as beautiful as it is informative.

Genres: Picture Books, China

24 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sorrowful and distinctive legend of how the panda got its markings. Includes an informative 2-page spread with historical and biographical information. Along with other facts, I learned that panda is a Nepalese word meaning "bamboo-eater." An interesting folktale with nice illustrations.

[Stacey B · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite adorable looking animal who could rip you to shreds.
As long as I can view their px hanging on my wall, its fine.
Panda's make me smile every morning.

[Reily Moen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Legend of the Panda, but not as much as the other folktale I read. This book was set in China; however, it did not contain any specific aspects of Chinese culture. It was simply a book about a shepherdess who stumbled upon a white bear while taking care of her flock. The book would be better used in a classroom if aspects of the Chinese culture could be taught and discussed. Despite this, it does have a strong message that students should be educated on.

In the book, the white bear is attacked by a snow leopard. With no concern for her own safety, the Shepherdess fights off the leopard so it won’t harm the bear further, at the cost of her own life. The bear wept with sooty paws, which forever dyed parts of his coat black. (hence, pandas were created.) Her actions show kids that they should be brave and considerate of others, not only themselves. While no one should be expected to risk their life for someone else, living with an unselfish mindset is important. This book teaches kids to think of others as much as they do themselves.

The only aspect of this book I didn’t understand was the end, when the sisters essentially died themselves, because they were so sad for their sister. I grew up with the mindset of letting the spirits of those who have passed on live through us. I almost saw the other sisters dying as them giving up all hope. While it is sweet that they loved their sister so much they couldn’t live without her, in a lot of ways them dying sends the message that it isn’t okay to move on and get on with your life. Their whole world had to end because their sister’s had, but that is not true. I would have liked to have seen them carry on her spirit.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good example of legends used to explain why something is the way it is. Obviously Kait was a big fan.

[Sam Smerbeck]

Title: The Legend of the Panda
Author: Linda Granfield
Illustrator: Song Nan Zhang
Genre: Legend
Theme(s): Kindness, sacrifice
Opening Line/Sentence:
Long years ago, Dolma, a young shepherdess, lived with her sisters in the Wolong Valley, deep in the mountains of Sichuan province.
Brief Book Summary:
This book recounts how the panda first got it’s black and white appearance. A young shepherd gave her life trying to protect a white panda cub, and when the body was turned to ash, the young pandas smeared their bodies with the ash as they wiped their tears, now becoming black and white. The sheperds sisters joined her in death and then 4 mountain peaks arose from the Earth in honor of them.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Gisela Jernigan, Ph.D. (Children's Literature) 
A young shepherdess, Dolma, befriends a gentle, white bear cub who enjoys frolicking with the sheep. One day, a leopard attacks the cub, and brave Dolma is killed trying to drive it off. At her funeral, the other white bears rub themselves with ashes in mourning, thus forming the familiar black and white panda markings. This appealing pourquoi tale also explains how the Mountain of the Four Sisters was formed. Beautiful paintings portray the lush forests and mountains of China's Sichuan province. Two pages of information on this fascinating, endangered animal add to the book's value. 1998, Tundra, $15.95. Ages 4 up. 
(PUBLISHER: Tundra Books (Plattsburgh N.Y.:), PUBLISHED: c1998.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Karen Morgan (Booklist, December 15, 1998 (Vol. 95, No. 8)) 
Dolma, a beautiful young shepherdess of China's Sichuan province, allows a lonely, white bear cub to wander with her flock. All is well until a snow leopard threatens the animals in her care, and she must give up her life. So begins this pourquoi tale explaining how Chinese pandas came to have "the black marks of mourning" characteristic of their kind today. The story also explains the folkloric significance of the Mountain of the Four Sisters and why the pandas' refuge is in the forests of Siguniang. Some children may recognize Zhang from another recent shepherd's tale,Cowboy on the Steppes. The double-page spreads he contributes here, whether depicting animals or people, reveal his artistry at its best. Granfield does not cite story sources, but she includes an author's note at the end providing some scientific information about giant pandas. Category: For the Young. 1998, Tundra, $15.95. Gr. 1-3. 
(PUBLISHER: Tundra Books (Plattsburgh N.Y.:), PUBLISHED: c1998.
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
Both reviews tell a detailed and descriptive summary on the legend of the panda. The double page spreads and the marvelous illustrations make this book a classic. The mountain of the four sisters is explained in both reviews too.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
The wording used in this story as well as the illustrations are perfect in regards to telling the story how it is intended. There are not many difficult vocabulary words and the meanings of the words are very clear.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
This would be a perfect read aloud book because almost every kid should know about panda bears, and I think it would be very engaging with the students. Asking the kids afterwards if they believe the story and why or why not can be very productive for class wide discussions.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know the legend of the panda is a classic in Chinese folklore, but it is difficult for Western culture to get past the fact that a little girl had to die in the story. There are several versions of the story, but in all of them the pandas -- who used to be white -- mourn her death by rubbing their eyes and rolling in the dirt, thus creating the patches of black, which they have had ever since.

[Kris Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a re-telling of an ancient legend about how the pandas got their black and white coat. It's an easy, but sad read about how a shepherd girl, Dolma who sacrificed her life trying to save a panda bear from a snow leopard. I learned that panda means bamboo-eater.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A legend from Nepal about how the panda got its colors.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so sad! The girl just suddenly dies :(

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of how the panda got its black spots. The story is simple, but the artwork is beautiful.