Mrs. Harkness and the Panda
By Alicia Potter
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
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Knopf Books for Young Readers
Hardcover Library Binding · Ages 5-8 years
2012 · 978-0-375-94448-2 (0-375-94448-6)
“An engaging, graceful narrative…. Sweet’s Asian style watercolor landscapes are breathtakingly
beautiful.”--Starred Review, Booklist
“This little gem will be perfect for one-on-one sharing and for those second-grade biography
assignments. It’s simply stunning.”-- Starred Review, School Library Journal
ABOUT THE BOOK :: In 1934, Ruth Harkness had never seen a panda bear. Not
many people in the world had. But soon the young Mrs. Harkness would inherit
an expedition from her explorer husband: the hunt for a panda. She knew that
bringing back a panda would be hard. Impossible, even. But she intended to try.
So she went to China, where she found a guide, built traps, gathered supplies,
and had explorer’s clothes made—all unheard of for a woman in those days.
Then she set out, up the Yangtze River and into the wilderness. What she
discovered would awe America: an adorable baby panda she named Su Lin,
which means “a little bit of something cute.” With breathtaking illustrations by
Caldecott Honor-winning artist Melissa Sweet, this little-known true story shares
the tale of an adventurous woman whose unforgettable journey helped shape
American attitudes toward wildlife.
PRE-READING :: What do you know about panda bears? How did you learn this
information?
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER ::
1. In 1934, not many people had ever seen a panda bear. Why?
2. Why didn’t Mrs. Harkness just join her husband on the expedition to find
the panda?
3. What terrible news did Mrs. Harkness learn about her husband? Despite
what others told her, what did she decide to do?
4. If you were Mrs. Harkness’s friend, what advice would you have given her
about the idea of inheriting her husband’s expedition to China?
5. Why were her friends so concerned for her safety? Would you be willing to
take such a journey even today?
6. How did Mrs. Harkness get to China? Why do you think she didn’t just fly
there?
7. From what locations did she possibly send postcards?
8. What were some of the concerns of people worried about Mrs. Harkness’s
safety? Do you think she listened to any of their advice or not? Why?
9. Explain how Mrs. Harkness prepared for the expedition once she reached
China. Why did she need so much stuff?
10. Describe the different forms of transportation Mrs. Harkness used for each
part of her expedition. Why did she need so many different types? Which
one sounds like the most fun?
11. How many people joined her expedition? What did she hire them to do?
Would you have gone to do one of the jobs she offered?
12. Once Mrs. Harkness reached the mountain, what steps did they take to
find the pandas?
13. Describe the way Mrs. Harkness and her friend, Quentin, finally found a
panda.
14. Just looking at the headlines upon Mrs. Harkness’s return, how did America
react to the panda? Where did Su Lin live in America?
15. Why do you think Mrs. Harkness returned to China?
ART:: Inspired by Melissa Sweet’s illustration, create a collage piece of your own
based on an expedition YOU would like to take someday. Add a note that
explains the location and what you’d like to do there. Think about: what colors
will work best to represent that location? What memorabilia or papers would
add interest? What shapes will you use? Have you included any threedimensional objects? Will you use the whole page or have a border?
VOCABULARY:: Mrs. Harkness and the Panda
Directions:
1. Put a √ mark before any word you’ve HEARD before
2. Define any SIX terms in your own words
3. Draw a picture that best represents three of the words
terrain:
treacherous:
expedition:
inherited:
athletic:
daring:
scoffed:
steamer:
Ceylon:
bandits:
dashing:
tailor:
tweed:
bulky:
scrambled:
whimper:
accomplished:
hastened:
fiancée:
specimen:
rugged:
SCIENCE :: Good scientists always ask questions before they do experiments or
head out on an expedition. Brainstorm a list of questions Mrs. Harkness may have
wondered about each of these topics. Then write observations she might have
made on each topic.
Topic:
Pandas
Weather
Transportation
Clothing
Language
Flora
&
Fauna
(plants
and
animals)
Architecture
(buildings)
Questions:
Observations:
MATH :: Noodle with these word problems inspired by the book:
1. Pandas can eat up to 84 pounds of bamboo each day! If bamboo costs
$2 how much would it cost to feed a panda for a day? A week? A whole
month (of 30 days)?
2. You want to travel to Hong Kong to plan your own expedition in the
mountains of China. If you have $2,000 in your savings and $4,000 in a
checking account, do you have enough if the ticket costs $3,000 one
way?
3. If you need to hire one person to carry each of your 22 bags on the
expedition and each person wants to be paid $10 each day, how much
should you budget for a seven-day trip? A twelve-day trip? A six-month
trip?
4. If the panda baby drinks three bottles of milk each day, how many will
you have to make each week? What if he drinks four bottles each day?
Ten bottles each day?
5. You want to send 10 postcards to your friends back home. If each
postcard costs 25 cents to buy and send, how much should you budget?
What if you want to send 20 postcards?
MUSIC :: Sing to the tune “Frere Jacques”
Mrs. Harkness
Mrs. Harkness
sailed to China
sailed to China
On an expedition
She brought back a panda
named Su Lin
named Su Lin
HISTORY :: Using the “Chronology of Events” in the back of the book, create a
timeline that also includes at least THREE important historical events (American or
World events) that happened at the same time. Then, with a friend, talk about
how these events may have made Mrs. Harkness’s journey easier or more
difficult.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR :: Alicia Potter, an avid traveler and animal lover, found inspiration to
tell this story in the magnitude of Ruth Harkness’s independence, mission, and legacy.
She is also the author of Fritz Danced the Fandango, which won an Oppenheim Toy
Portfolio Gold Seal Award, and works as a freelance journalist and children’s book
reviewer.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR :: Melissa Sweet is the Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator of A
River of Words by Jen Bryant, The Boy Who Drew Birds by Jacqueline Davies, and The
Sleepy Little Alphabet by Judy Sierra, and is the author/ illustrator of Carmine: A Little
More Red, named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. Her book, Balloons Over
Broadway garnered the 2012 Sibert Medal. She was lucky enough to take a trip to China
several years ago, and although she didn’t bring back any pandas, she did return with a
collection of paper and other collage materials that she used to create the art for this
book. Please visit: www.melissasweet.net for more information.
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a reading specialist and children’s book author, created this guide.
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