Dragon Dancer

Dragon Dancer is about the Chinese Lunar New Year. It tells the story of a boy who dances as the dragon in the celebration. The main character, Yao, hears the voice of the dragon, which helps him to dance.

I like the pictures because they seem to go in and out of the text and white parts of the paper. They remind me of water, as there are lots of different parts to each picture, and they flow together. The pictures are very colorful and detailed.

The story might be a little confusing to younger readers because it’s not clear what is really happening and what is just in Lao’s mind. For instance, when Lao is flying with the dragon and the dragon is talking to him. My interpretation is that that part takes place in Lao’s mind, but I do believe he’s actually dancing in the dragon costume at that time.

Unfortunately, the cover art is more exciting than the actual story. If you don’t know anything about Chinese New Year, this would not be a good introduction, although there is an endnote if you are willing to read that.