welcome to
 Aussiereviews.com

 
  Reviewing the best of Australian books, films, music websites and more.

Home
See All Reviews
Free update
Links
Feedback
Link to us

see all...





Aussie Authors
Links to Australian authors on the net.
Picture Books
See all reviews for children's picture books.
Children's Books
See all reviews of children's novels and chapter books.
Young Adult Fiction
See all reviews of young adult titles.
Fiction
See all reviews of adult fiction.
Nonfiction
See all reviews of non-fiction titles.
DVD and Video
See all video and DVD reviews.
Music and Software
See all music and software reviews.
Educational texts
See all reviews of educational texts.
Audiobooks
See all reviews of audiobook titles.

  

Picture Book Review: Moon Bear Rescue, by Kim Dale
Reviewed by Sally Murphy

Sure to touch readers' hearts.



Bewildered, Star clung to the bars that held him a prisoner, alone in a frightening world he did not understand.
This little black bear cub would never know freedom in the wild again.

In rural China, Asiatic black bears, (known as Moon Bears because of the white crescents on their chests) are farmed for their bile, which is used in Chinese medicines. The bears are kept in small cages and ‘milked’ of the bile daily through catheters inserted in their gall bladders. Moon Bear Rescue tells the true story of one Moon Bear, Star, who is injured by the men who trap him before finding his way to the Moon Bear Rescue Centre in Sichuan. Star has to learn how to trust humans in his long journey to rehabilitation.

This is a touching tale which highlights not just Star’s tale but also highlights the plight of the Moon bears and the work that the rescue centre is doing. It especially highlights the contribution made by Jill Robinson (MBE) who became aware of the Moon bear’s plight in 1993 and has worked tirelessly to establish the centre and promote awareness of the animals’ plight.

Kim Dale’s beautiful watercolour illustrations bring the story to life in touching detail. This is a book which tells a sometimes sad story but which will touch the hearts of readers, young and old.

Moon Bear Rescue, by Kim Dale
Lothian, 2006

You can buy this book online at Fishpond

 Sponsored by:

The Floatingest Frog, by Sally Murphy, illustrated by Simon Bosch
Available now from New Frontier Publishing