Jasper's Story: Saving Moon Bears

“Jasper’s Story: Saving Moon Bears” is a magnificent true story of a valiant effort to correct terrible abuse visited upon China’s special moon bears, who are caught, cruelly caged, and used for their bear bile. The author has received multiple international awards for her work in exposing, condemning and correcting this systematic animal exploitation and abuse. With help from many others, she founded the Moon Bear Rescue Centre and Animals Asia, to have a rehabilitation facility to accept, treat, heal and shelter the terribly abused captured moon bears of China. “Jasper’s Story” tells the amazing story of one special bear who responds well to all the care and healing sanctuary of the Moon Bear Rescue Centre. Despite terrible abuse, Jasper recovers and learns to live a more normal bear life, taking on the role of helper bear to new bear admissions. “Jasper’s Story” is a story of both horrible abuse and strength, recovery and forgiveness. Beautifully illustrated by accurate paintings of moon bears both in confinement and later in rehabilitation, “Jasper’s Story” is a true tale of survival and endurance, an inspirational, educational story for both children and adults.

After her first encounter with the horrific practice of bear farming in China, Robinson made it her life’s work to rescue and rehabilitate as many of these abused animals as possible. She has also worked to end the cruel practice of bile extraction. Jasper’s Story tells of one moon bear and how he came to symbolize the forgiveness and trust that come with love. He had been held in a tiny cage where he could neither sit nor move nor lie down for more than 10 years. At the time of his rescue, he was both physically and emotionally battered, but through the gentle care of Robinson and her helpers, he can play and interact with other bears and humans, and seems to have forgiven the cruelties that were once inflicted upon him. He sets a courageous example for both his bear companions and for his human advocates. And through the work of Robinson, bile farming is a waning practice in Asia. Poetic language and soft-toned realistic watercolor illustrations offer a story of courage and hope. Useful as a read aloud in conjunction with animal welfare and nature studies.

“The small cages clattered and clanked and clanged as the truck made its way toward the Moon Bear Rescue Center” near Chengdu, China. This truck is carrying the precious cargo of Moon Bears who have been rescued from “horrid captive conditions” where their bile has been harvested to be used in Asian medicine.

These beautiful bears are marked with the sweep of a moon crescent across their chests. They were stolen from their peaceful world, taken by “farmers” for their bile and are now on their way to a sanctuary where they will receive desperately needed care. For these bears human beings represent “pain and cruelty.” The caregivers in the sanctuary can see the"years of anguish each bear had endured…in their physical wounds, swollen tummies, and missing paws."

One bear is especially damaged in body and in spirit. He will be named Jasper and Jasper has been treated so cruelly that the staff wonders if he will ever recover physically or in his spirit. Hanky time. Jasper begins to heal and develop trust.

This beautiful, touching story tells of the work done by the caregivers to reach Jasper physically and spiritually. This is an important story about the dignity and sanctity of our animals and the wondrous connection that they offer us to a greater presence. It’s our work to protect and cherish them and to promote understanding across cultural barriers of the damage done when we “steal” from our natural world.

Let’s hope we can do better. There is a note from Jane Goodall praising the work of Jill and her team.

Somewhere moon bears roam free and in the sanctuary Jasper has come home.

Note; This book is about moon bears but it would be an amazing book to share with any child who has known abuse. That child will feel the bond with these bears and may be inspired and encouraged to move forward in his/her own life after learning what Jasper chooses. Great bibliotherapy.

Jasper’s Story: Saving Moon Bears is a children’s picturebook about the real-life troubles suffered by Asian moon bears. For fifteen long years, Jasper was confined and miserable in a cage, held by bear farmers in rural China. The bear farmers removed bile from Jasper’s body to sell as an ingredient in traditional Asian medicine, a trade that inflicted horrific cruelty to thousands of moon bears. But for Jasper and other moon bears, there is hope in Animals Asia, a non-profit that has established award-winning sanctuaries in China and Vietnam. Jasper’s Story: Saving Moon Bears is ultimate a tale of hope and forgiveness, as well as an awakening to the fact that humans are capable of changing their cruel ways. Highly recommended.

Get ready to wipe away a few tears after reading this. Jill Robinson has dedicated her life to rescuing the bears of China who’ve been abused by those extracting bear bile for use in traditional Asian medicines. Jasper is one of them, a moon bear, held in a tiny cage for 15 years before arriving at Robinson’s center in China, called Animals Asia. At first, he is wary, even violent, but as Robinson and her team methodically integrate him into the community, Jasper becomes the poster bear for all that can be accomplished. Eventually, he’s an ambassador to newcomer bears, touching and patting them to make them feel more comfortable. The text is a bit overwritten in the beginning, but as the book follows Jasper’s progress, it settles down to a moving narrative. The sturdy acrylic illustrations are derived from van Frankenhuyzen’s photographs taken at the sanctuary, and their tracking of Jasper’s journey to wellness captures both the effort and emotion. A final two-page-spread afterword tells more about Robinson and her work.