When a newborn baby boy is lost in a distant forest his mother is distraught. Villagers search for him, but without much hope for a happy ending. Motherly love endures though, and the baby’s mother doesn’t give up until she finds him safe, well and being protected by a beautiful panda bear. An unbreakable and enduring bond between human and bear has been created. When visitors arrive in the village nine years later, the now-grown boy must decide if he will repay the panda’s kindness or seek riches and adventure.
Exploring our connection with nature through lyrical prose and achingly beautiful illustrations, The Panda’s Child is a book that will enchant readers of all ages. The story has a haunting fable-like quality to it, whilst the accomplished paintings capture a bereft mother’s anguish, and seem to peer straight into the souls of the wild animals depicted.
As can be expected from any collaboration from Morris and Fisher, this is an ode to the natural world with an important message about species conservation.
A beautiful gift book with the resonance of a legend and a passion for the wild world.
In a faraway forest a baby is lost and found, protected by a she-panda.
Nine years later another baby, the panda's child, is in great danger, and only a boy and the spirit of the forest can save him.
This magical, powerful story by Jackie Morris, co-creator of The Lost Words, and award-winning illustrator Cathy Fisher, is a book for all ages to treasure, exploring our most vital connection with wild nature.
Powerful environmental and species conservation themes are developed through story and illustration.
Watch author Jackie Morris read an excerpt from The Panda's Child
'A panda protects a baby who has been separated from his mother, and several years later that same child rescues the panda's baby, who has been stolen by a band of men who want to present it to Emperor Alexander. Morris' powerful reminder to respect the wild is brought to life by Fisher's gorgeous artwork, which makes the beauty of the natural world leap off the page. Simply stunning.' - The Bookseller
Author
About Jackie Morris
Ever since I was 6 years old I wanted to be an artist, and though at times during growing up my ambition wavered and I favoured being a cowboy, a nun or a vet I mostly stuck to the idea of being an artist. Secretly I wanted to write also.
At school favourite subjects were all wrapped around stories, like history, or drawing, like geography.
I used to get told off for drawing and dreaming. Now I get paid for it, so looking back all that drawing and dreaming was career development.
Now I live in a storybook cottage by the sea. I have two children who wear me out but are wonderful companions as well as being sources of inspiration, two dogs and five cats, including one called Maurice, who, had we lived 200 years ago would have got me burnt as a witch.
I spend my days reading, writing, drawing and colouring in and listening to music and the radio, walking on the cliffs by the sea and finding stories in the landscape, in the warm breath of the wind, in the odd snippet of over heard conversation, it the slant of light as it falls from the sky and in the whisper of the waves as they pull and pebbles on the beach.
I love poetry, the flight of hawks and owls, the colour of the feathers on a rooks back, bluebells, harebells, birds eggs in moss lined nest cups and much much more.
There are days when I love to paint, watching the colour spread from brush to paper, making an image grow out of the careful manipulation of coloured water. And there are days when I get fed up with it all and run away to watch the birds fly, or sulk somewhere and read a book.
As well as illustrating books I also paint for exhibitions.
