D is for Dragon Dance

by Ying Chang Compestine, YongSheng Xuan (Illustrator)

Overview

From dazzling dragon dances to scrumptious steamed dumplings, celebrate the Chinese New Year with this bilingual alphabet book in English and Mandarin Chinese.

Lunar New Year is here! It's time for Acrobats to perform, Grandma and Grandpa to make cut paper decorations, friends to share Oranges with one another, and so much more!

Follow along as two siblings prepare for the festivities and later have a feast with their whole family. First published in 2006, this new paperback edition presents the text in both English and Mandarin Chinese.

Award-winning author Ying Chang Compestine beautifully captures all the tradition and excitement, while YongSheng Xuan's gentle artwork depicts the celebrations, including a full spread of a dragon dance. The book closes with an illustrated Zodiac calendar, tips to ensure good fortune in the New Year, and an author's and illustrator's note.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823447466
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	12/08/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,050,358
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Ying Chang Compestine is an award-winning author and former food editor for Martha Stewart's Whole Living magazine. She grew up in Wuhan, China during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Ying graduated from Central China Normal University with a degree in English, then earned her Master's in Sociology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has taught writing and sociology in both the U.S. and China. Her many beloved books for young people include Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party, which has received over 30 national awards, and A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts, which received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly. She lives in California.

YongSheng Xuan is the acclaimed illustrator of many books for children, including The Rooster's Antlers: A Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Eric A. Kimmel and Ying Chang Compestine's The Story Of... series. He was born in Shanghai, China. As a teenager he studied under the famed Chinese sculptor Zhang Cheren and later attended the Central Arts and Crafts University in Beijing.

Editorial Reviews

"Simple text and large illustrations fill this Chinese New Year–themed alphabet book. . . .A solid choice for introducing the Chinese New Year to young children that will work well as a read-aloud in a group setting."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

02/01/2019

PreS-Gr 1—Simple text and large illustrations fill this Chinese New Year–themed alphabet book. Short explanatory sentences add context for young listeners, although some may prompt further questioning from children unfamiliar with the holiday ("D is for Dragon Dance/E is for Evil Spirits/F is for Firecrackers/Dragon dancers and firecrackers scare away evil spirits."). Xuan's bold, textured illustrations feature a family preparing and celebrating, with large Chinese characters in a range of calligraphy styles subtly incorporated into the background. One page of back matter offers slightly more information about the holiday, ideas on how to "ensure good fortune in the New Year" and an artist's note. Unfortunately, while Xuan explains the calligraphy styles, no translation of the characters is given. Originally published in 2006, this new edition is bilingual, with all text appearing in English, simplified Chinese characters, and pinyin transliteration. The dumpling recipe in the original back matter has been moved online. VERDICT A solid choice for introducing the Chinese New Year to young children that will work well as a read-aloud in a group setting.—Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington County Public Libraries, VA

School Library Journal