Customer Reviews

The Dragon New Year: A Chinese Legend (Chinese Legends Trilogy)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the most detail book to talk about Chinese New Year. As a Chinese, I strongly recommand people want to know the story of Chinese New Year: read this one.
I read this to my Chinese School students who were born in America every year. Most of them love it.

As I said in the title for my review, the artwork alone makes this book stand out! It's absolutely stunning! I can see where your child might be afraid of the Sea Dragon. The Chinese believed that each river or lake had it's own guardian dragon that lived in it's own palaces in the deepest part of that body of water.

I think this is a book where the parent will have to read the book prior to reading to their child as well as knowing how their child might react. If you read the inside of the dust jacket it says that there is some truth to this story and some that is made up. I think the author wove both traditional elements of the New Year where there are fireworks, Lion Dancers & Buddah, Sea Dragons, food and family. I think the author used his imagination on how this tradition could have come about!

I like this book, but I know my 2 year old daughter and at this time she is not ready to read this book, so if you'd like a book to add to your Chinese home library or about the Chinese New Year this is a nice addition and take a moment to read the book before you read to your child. Then gauge if you think the book will excite their imagination or cause them to be scared. Again, the artwork is just outstanding!

We have read alot of Chinese New Year's books and found this to be the least enjoyable. We were surprised and disappointed to find a quite scary part in the middle. Not unless you read the afterword will you find out that Bouchard made up the story. (I do not think the subtitle should say it is a Chinese legend.) I would recommend that you stay away from this book, and certainly read it well before you consider reading it to any children. I would not want this to be anyone's first or only introduction to Chinese dragons, Chinese New Year's or the Year of the Dragon! If you use this book, do have others on hand and explain that this is just one person's view. (This is an especially strong reaction from me as we read lots of different versions of almost any story we read.)

I agree that this shouldn't be the only book in your library about Chinese New Year. The artwork is vivid and the writing engaging. It is too long and scary for young kids. Probably more for at least 9 or 10 year's old? You'll have to explain that it's someone's version and that they based it on facts but used their imagination. As such, it would be a good tool to show how to do that. I personally liked it, but I'm an adult.

We received this book as a gift. At first, I was afraid my 2-year-old daughter (adopted from China) might find this story too scary. But once I got her to sit through the rather long story, she absolutely loved it!!! She now takes the book with her everywhere, calling it her 'dragon book'. I'm not sure what exactly it means when Bouchard says he made up the story, but stayed true to Chinese history and folklore - it seems a contradiction to me to say you both made up a story, and stayed true to folklore...But whatever it means, I can't argue with the fact that my daughter just loves the book!