Awakening the Dragon: The Dragon Boat Festival [Hardcover]

Arlene Chan (Author), Song Nan Zhang (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 20, 2004 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

In ancient times, the Chinese saw the dragon as both a protector and a threat, able to bring on rain or cause droughts. To honor this powerful creature, people created long narrow boats that they raced in an annual rainmaking festival.

From the wearing of fragrant pouches, to the consumption of rice dumplings, to thrilling boat races, the dragon boat festival of today is a celebration of Chinese traditions all over the world.

Arlene Chan, a respected librarian and an experienced dragon boat racer, explores the origins of the festival, it’s customs, and the races themselves. Beautifully detailed illustrations by Song Nan Zhang let you experience the beauty and energy of this ancient festival.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5–Dragon-boat racing, one of the fastest growing sports around the world, has a long tradition in Chinese culture. Chan explains the historical significance of the dragon and the festival, including the customs and folklore connected with the races. Variations in the way different regions celebrate the festival are also presented. Descriptions of the dragon boats, the team members and their responsibilities, and their preparation and training are included. Chinese words, such a zongzior kui, are defined within the text. Concise writing holds readers' interest. Vibrant, colorful paintings encourage youngsters to pore over the details in each illustration. This is an engaging look at the traditions of this ancient culture and the story behind the modern-day sport.–Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6. In this colorful introduction to the Dragon Boat Festival, the author explains that the celebration may have started with ancient Chinese attempts to appease the River Dragon or with the tragic death of poet Qu Yuan. The overview describes typical customs and traditional foods, elaborates on the construction of the boats and the preparation of the athletes, and finally analyzes the elements of the race itself. With dominant primary colors, the vibrant illustrations follow the text closely, but captions would have clarified a few pictures. Unfortunately, there is neither a table of contents nor an index, and no sources are cited. Still, the information is difficult to find elsewhere, and this nicely designed guide will attract browsers and students alike. Linda Perkins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Tundra Books; First Printing edition (April 20, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887766560
• ISBN-13: 978-0887766565
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 0.4 x 11.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,498,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A third-generation Chinese-Canadian, Arlene Chan is the author of "The Spirit of the Dragon: the Story of Jean Lumb;" "The Moon Festival: a Chinese Mid-Autumn Celebration;" "Awakening the Dragon: the Dragon Boat Festival;" and "Paddles Up! Dragon Boat Racing in Canada." Her fifth book, "The Chinese in Toronto from 1878," will be published by Dundurn Press in October 2011.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting festival time., November 22, 2004

By 

Allison Martin "Book Reviewer" (comeunity.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Awakening the Dragon: The Dragon Boat Festival (Hardcover)

This is the story of the cultural and historical origins of the dragon boat festival celebrated in China and by the Chinese around the world. Dragon boats represent the effort of villagers to protect the spirit of one of the emperor's advisors who drowned himself in the river. Many other legends accompany this festival, including the story of a nightmare from an emperor in the 700's who dreamed of a ghost. This book provides a nice overview of the legends and customs from the past and the celebrations today of this exciting festival time.