The Smithsonian Book of Giant Pandas was written with just such an effort in mind. In it, Susan Lumpkin, director of communications of Friends of the National Zoo, and John Seidensticker, senior scientist at the Smithsonian Zoological Park, share their understanding of, and personal experience with, giant pandas in the United States and China. They also describe the panda’s natural and cultural history and discuss problems in preserving the species. More than 170 full-color photos accompany the text and illustrate in beautiful detail the giant panda, newborn to full-grown, in its natural habitat and in zoos.