After hard work and determination, 12-year-old Chang is finally accepted as a rescue center volunteer and is faced with her toughest challenge yet: returning the sun bear she raised from infancy to the wild where she belongs. Simultaneous and eBook. Illustrations. - (Baker & Taylor)

* "Perfect for animal-loving fans of Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan and Rosanne Parry’s A Wolf Called Wander."—School Library Journal, starred review

An ALA Top Ten and Eisner-nominated middle grade graphic novel adventure based on a true story, about a young conservationist who overcomes the odds to save and return a sun bear to its natural habitat.

When endlessly curious and tenacious Chang discovers a bear bile farm near her home in Vietnam, she decides to do everything she can to save wild animals—by becoming a conservationist! After teaching herself survival skills, documenting each rainforest plant and animal she sees in her field notebook, and disproving the critics who think she isn’t old enough or strong enough, Chang is finally accepted as a rescue center volunteer. But her toughest challenge yet comes when she’s tasked with returning Sorya—the sun bear she raised from infancy—back into the wild. Because despite being a different species, Sorya is Chang’s best friend. And letting a friend go is never easy . . . even when it’s the right thing to do.

With breathtaking art and STEM facts galore, Chang’s daring story is for any young reader, animal lover, and intrepid explorer! - (Penguin Putnam)

Trang Nguyen, born in Vietnam, knew from a young age that she wanted to be a wildlife conservationist and environmental activist. She obtained her PhD in Biodiversity Management from the University of Cambridge and is the founder and CEO of WildAct, a non-profit that helps monitor illegal wildlife trade markets. For her advocacy, Nguyen was awarded the prestigious Future for Nature Award in 2018 and named by the BBC as one of the 100 most inspiring and influential women of 2019. This is her first children's book.

Jeet Zdung is an award-winning illustrator who fuses traditional Vietnamese art with manga, using pencils, watercolors, ink, and other digital means to create works of beauty and innovation. Courageous Chang, Defender of Bears is his first children's book published in the US. He resides in Hanoi, Vietnam. - (Penguin Putnam)

Booklist Reviews

In this semi-autobiographical story, writer and conservationist Nguyen, along with illustrator Zdung, tells the story of Chang, a young girl who will do everything in her power to save animals and return them to the wild where they belong. Chang's dreams of becoming a conservationist are realized after she witnesses a bear being tortured one evening, and she brings that care and comfort to Sorya, a sun bear that Chang realizes needs to return to her own natural habitat. This book is full of interesting, sometimes disturbing facts around animals and the ways in which humans exploit and abuse them for monetary gain. Nguyen nicely balances the semi-fictional story with nonfiction elements, making this title appealing to a wide variety of readers. In soft, full-color, lifelike artwork reminiscent of watercolor paintings, Zdung forgoes traditional comics paneling, alternating between full-page spreads and layouts using unconventional placements. The plants and animals are rendered with naturalistic detail, which nicely bolsters the informational elements. A perfect pick for animal lovers and young conservationists. Grades 3-7. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

Nguyen's graphic novel based on a true adventure tells the story of a girl named Chang, who is an aspiring wildlife conservationist, and her efforts to protect Vietnam's native species and natural environments. Accompanying Chang is Sorya, a sun bear rescued in Laos, who must learn survival skills before she can be safely returned to the forest. Zdung's expressive, expansive comics-style panels depict Sorya's many playful antics moment by moment, as well as the fast-paced tension in more dangerous interactions in the wild. Clever picture-within-picture illustrations from Chang's field-notebook sketches incorporate information on topics ranging from bear species to the many ways humans exploit wild animals for profit. The warmth of the characters' relationship is conveyed with a minimum of anthropomorphism. The conversational narrative is occasionally paused by gorgeous interspersed partial-to-full spreads of Vietnamese rainforest landscapes filled with the heat, moisture, and density of tropical plant and animal life. Sorya eventually returns to the wild, while Chang continues her lifelong efforts to protect the forests and their inhabitants from human exploitation done through development, farming, dams, and the illegal animal trade. Brief author and illustrator notes are appended. Copyright 2023 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

Nguyen's graphic novel "based on a true adventure" tells the story of a girl named Chang, who is an aspiring wildlife conservationist, and her efforts to protect Vietnam's native species and natural environments. Accompanying Chang is Sorya, a sun bear rescued in Laos, who must learn survival skills before she can be safely returned to the forest. Zdung's expressive, expansive comics-style panels depict Sorya's many playful antics moment by moment, as well as the fast-paced tension in more dangerous interactions in the wild. Clever picture-within-picture illustrations from Chang's field-notebook sketches incorporate information on topics ranging from bear species to the many ways humans exploit wild animals for profit. The warmth of the characters' relationship is conveyed with a minimum of anthropomorphism. The conversational narrative is occasionally paused by gorgeous interspersed partial-to-full spreads of Vietnamese rainforest landscapes filled with the heat, moisture, and density of tropical plant and animal life. Sorya eventually returns to the wild, while Chang continues her lifelong efforts to protect the forests and their inhabitants from human exploitation done through development, farming, dams, and the illegal animal trade. Brief author and illustrator notes are appended. Danielle J. Ford January/February 2022 p.117 Copyright 2022 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

An uplifting story about wildlife protection in Vietnam (and originally published there) inspired by real events from the wildlife-conservationist author's life. After witnessing a brutal bear-bile extraction as a young girl, Chang becomes determined to become a wildlife conservationist. These dreams are met with mockery and derision due to Chang's age and gender as well as cultural perceptions about conservation as a career. Despite these challenges, Chang persists with studying and is accepted as a volunteer at Cat Tien National Park, narrating it all in a conversational tone that is equally genial in recounting events and presenting fascinating animal facts. At the park, Chang learns how to care for rescued animals and starts volunteering with Free The Bears, another organization. During this time, a young sun bear cub named Sorya is brought to the center from a bear-bile farm. Chang works with Sorya to prepare her for eventual release back into the wild. Zdung's use of watercolors in his frankly gorgeous illustrations enhances the rainforest setting, and the portrayals of its animal inhabitants are the epitome of wild and free. While the natural images tend to be realistic, the human characters are drawn in a manga-influenced style with elements like oversized eyes, large sweat drops, and speed lines. This blending of styles and varied panel layouts creates dynamic spreads and stunning page turns. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Breathtaking visuals and a compelling story seamlessly integrate conservation facts. (illustrator's note, about the creators) (Graphic fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus 2021 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 4–6—Inspired by the author's own experiences as a conservationist, this triumphant graphic novel charts the relationship between Sorya, a sun bear, and Chang, a young Vietnamese girl who helps rehabilitate her. Beginning and ending with the bear's release into the wild, the book explores key moments in Sorya's and Chang's lives. When Chang is eight, she is horrified when she stumbles across a mistreated moon bear, and vows to become a conservationist. Despite barriers—all the books she finds on conservation are in English, and many people tell her that a young girl can't be a conservationist—Chang perseveres year after year until she lands a volunteer position at a national park and bear rescue center in Vietnam. The center soon welcomes Sorya, a two-week-old cub. Chang learns everything she can so that she can teach Sorya how to eventually survive on her own. How hard will it be to say goodbye? With a warm yet realistic outlook, Nguyen's heartfelt tale is perfect for animal-loving fans of Katherine Applegate's The One and Only Ivan and Rosanne Parry's A Wolf Called Wander. Zdung's full-color art fuses traditional Vietnamese art with manga styles. The lush rain forest scenes are rich in detail, supplemented by fact-filled pages of Chang's field notebook that appear throughout. The mix of varied block paneling with stylish overlays keeps the pacing fresh yet also allows for some still moments of beauty. VERDICT Stirring and gorgeously rendered, this eco-conscious tale is a superb purchase for all libraries.—Alec Chunn, Eugene P.L., OR