Little Panda: The World Welcomes Hua Mei at the San Diego Zoo

Joanne Ryder. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, $16.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-689-84310-5

The first giant panda cub ever to survive in captivity in the Western Hemisphere takes center stage in Little Panda by Joanne Ryder, with photographs that follow her from a ""pink and pale"" cub to the thriving black-and-white Hua Mei (her name means ""China-USA"") who lives in the San Diego Zoo. With abundant accessible details included in factoids (""Her fur feels much like a German shepherd's), a minimum of text and a maximum of photos, this volume will win Hua Mei many fans. ( Mar.)

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