The Panda Cub Swap

FIRST PLACE WINNER OF THE LITTLE PEEPS - CHANTICLEER BOOK AWARDS It takes a lot of work to bring a panda cub into the world. They are born with delicate pink skin, they’ re unable to see, unable to walk— and even unable to go to the bathroom without help! It’ s so much work that panda mamas can only take care of one cub at a time. So when Zoo Atlanta’ s beloved giant panda, Lun Lun, surprised everyone by having twins, the zoo staff had to pitch in. They made a plan to share parenting duties with Lun Lun. Every few hours the zoo staff swapped the cubs between Lun Lun and their workroom to make sure the cubs got equal time with mom. It was hard work, and Lun Lun didn’ t even know she had twins! The cubs ate and slept, opened their eyes, and grew beautiful black and white coats. Fans watching around the world submitted name ideas for the cubs. Everyone cheered as the cubs took their first steps. As the cubs grew larger and more independent, excitement grew about their upcoming reunion. Would Lun Lun accept them when she finally met them both? Luckily, for Lun Lun, motherhood came naturally.

Illustrator Anne Belov lives on an island in the Puget Sound, surrounded by tall trees and the occasional grove of bamboo. Her love of pandas came early in life, via stuffed pandas and books about them. When Mei Lun and Mei Huan were born, she danced around the kitchen in excitement while screaming into the phone to another lover of pandas who was also watching the birth on the Panda Cams. Anne has traveled to see pandas in five countries, including China, where she saw more pandas than she could count. Beth Bacon is an author for young readers. Her books  I Hate Reading and The Book No One Wants To Read  bring humor to the experiences of struggling readers. Her books Covid-19 Helpers and Helping The World Get Well: Covid Vaccines offer children a clear understanding of the global pandemic. Beth volunteers for Open Hearts Big Dreams, an organization dedicated to improving literacy in Ethiopia as well as LOGIC.baby, an organization that supports families with infants being cared for in Neonatal Intensive Care Units.