Moon Bears

In a follow-up to Polar Bears (2010), wildlife photographer Newman introduces a handful of moon bears that live at a sanctuary in Chengdu, China. Vivid photographs show the bears climbing trees, swimming, and relaxing in hammocks. In crisp, reportorial prose, Newman describes the bears’ physical and behavioral traits: “Poppy’s big, round ears help her hear what’s happening around her,” begins a page devoted to the animals’ powerful sense of hearing. Newman packs a good amount of information into her descriptions of the bears as they live in safety, though the account ends on a sobering note as he details the mistreatment of moon bears in circuses and at bear bile farms throughout China and Vietnam. Ages 4–8. (Nov.)