Chinese New Year

A festive account of one family's Chinese New Year celebration. A little girl describes the preparations--everything from cleaning and shopping to food preparation and gifts--leading up to a magical Lunar New Year. In one dreamy sequence, the girl imagines herself in Ancient China, riding on a dragon, and watching the celebration unfold.

An old ten-man dragon in a Chinatown shop window turns Peter Chang's summer visit to Great Aunt, which he had been dreading, into an exciting adventure. The Last Dragon's silk is faded and torn, and its eyes are gone, but Peter finds people willing to help restore the dragon to life-Great Aunt's mahjongg friends, a tailor, a kite maker, a street artist-and learns his way around the neighborhood at the same time. The banquet that honors the dragon's return to its full glory and marks the end of Peter's visit is also a celebration of Chinatown's unique culture.

"In this alphabetical celebration of the Chinese New Year, a boy and a girl prepare for the festivities with their family. Each page or full spread, representing one letter, includes such headings as A is for Acrobats, I is for Incense, and P is for Peking Duck. One- to two-sentence subtitles under some of these headings explain the traditions. The Z is for Zodiac page includes a circular chart to allow children to find their own Chinese sign. The back matter includes an authors note on the traditions surrounding the New Year, an artists note on the calligraphy appearing in the background, and a recipe for dumplings." (School Library Journal)

"Filled with delectable recipes, hands-on family activities, and traditional tales to read aloud, this extraordinary collection will inspire families everywhere to re-create the magic of Chinese holidays in their own homes. They can feast on golden New Year's dumplings and tasty moon cakes, build a miniature boat for the Dragon Boat Festival and a kite at Qing Ming, or share the story of the greedy Kitchen God or the valiant warrior Hou Yi."

Chin Chiang has long dreamed of dancing the dragon's dance, but when the first day of the Year of the Dragon arrives and he is to dance with his grandfather, he is sure he will shame his family and bring bad luck to everyone.