China's Goodwill Ambassador, Tai Shan the Panda
Patricia Eireann Holz, Tabitha Benedict Aaron
Language: English
Pages: 12
ISBN: 2:00158040
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
"China's Goodwill Ambassador," Tai Shan the Panda, is a mischevious four-year-old panda, a descendant of the first panda pair given as gifts from the Chinese people to the American people in 1972. He is a popular and beloved sight for children visiting the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. All is well until he discovers he must leave the zoo and go alone to Sichaun province, China. With mixed feelings he learns from his parents that he must go to help save endangered baby pandas. Tai Shan also learns the meaning of a goodwill ambassador as he says goodbye to all his friends and travels on the Bamboo Express to China. He is daring, friendly and outgoing, and his courage is constantly tested through some great adventures.
Combines fact and fiction based on the true story of the real Tai Shan.
Patricia Eireann Holz is an Irish-born writer of poetry, travel writing, and fiction. Holz founded Washington International magazine with a view toward building bridges of understanding between cultures. China's Goodwill Ambassador, Tai Shan the Panda encompasses the values of friendship, courage and respect, and deals with the pain of separation as well as the joy of adventure. With an education and field experience in child psychology, this is her first book dedicated to children.
friends to visit. Later that evening, when everything was quiet, he slipped out under the fence. Feeling free and happy, he ran as fast as he could straight to the lion’s cage. As he reached the lion’s cage it was getting dark, but he glimpsed the lion dozing in the corner. “Wake up, wake up Leonardo,” he shouted in a big, loud voice. The startled lion jumped up on all four paws and stumbled forward. “What’s all this noise about,” he said as he rubbed his eyes. “Is that you, Little Black
from the lion’s cage, RWROWRRR….. It became louder and louder, so loud that Tai Shan had to cover his ears with his paws. When the roar finally stopped there was complete silence. Tai Shan waited, but nobody came. Then he slipped out from behind the tree and ran quickly to Leonardo. “Goodbye, Leonardo, and thank you. I will always remember you and that roar; it is a great gift for my memory.” “Goodbye, Little Black Eyed Bumbulina, I will remember you too. Know that every time you think of me, I
disappeared. “The moon always comes back again,” said Tai Shan. “Will you come back again, Bumbulina?” asked Miss Sniffy. “I don’t know, but I don’t think so,” said Tai Shan. “Well, I know what we can do,” she said, her big eyes shining. “If you watch the moon in China, and see it come and go, it will be the very same moon I see here in Washington. As we look at it, we will think of each other.” “So that’s the same moon! He knew Miss Sniffy was wise about many things. “I will always remember
much time, but I came to say goodbye. I am leaving tomorrow to go to China to help save the pandas, and I couldn’t leave without seeing you, and I was afraid you were sleeping and I wouldn’t see you anymore, and — oh dear, oh dear, now I am crying.” “Please don’t cry little Bumbulina,” said Elemorphoriticus, tenderness filling his golden voice.” I don’t like to see you so sad. If you cry, I may cry too.” Tai Shan looked into the eyes of Elemorphoriticus and saw such kindness that it took away
that?” “I don’t know yet, but I will do my very best.” As the long hours went by, above the drone of the jet engines, they talked about everything. Tai Shan told Shola about his friends Leonardo, Miss Sniffy and Elemorphoriticus. He made Shola laugh when he told her about the ride on the elephant’s back, about the lion roaring so loudly, and about Miss Sniffy and how she would gaze at the same moon in Washington as Tai Shan in Sichuan. Shola told him how she loved being free to chase