Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year (Reading Rainbow Books) [Paperback]

Kate Waters (Author), Martha Cooper (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Reading Rainbow Books

On the Chinese New Year, six-year-old Ernie will perform his first Lion Dance. An intimate look at a Chinese household as the family shares a proud moment with Ernie. "A strong supplement for its immediacy, its vibrant color, and its sympathetic look at a Chinese family."--School Library Journal. A Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-- In brief, simple sentences, Ernie Wan describes his Chinese -American family's celebration of the lunar New Year. Ernie lives in New York City's Chinatown, where traditions are rooted in the culture of southern China. Ernie's father, a kung fu master, choreographs The Lion Dance, the center of the community celebration and a major tourist attraction. This year, Ernie dances in the place of honor under the lion's head. Color photographs depict private and public festivities. Brown's Chinese New Year (Holt, 1987), reported in third person, gives more general information about Chinese traditions. Set in San Francisco's Chinatown and portraying the same regional customs in black-and-white photographs, Brown's book explains how the date for New Year is determined (something Lion Dancer never mentions) and emphasizes the variety of ways in which Chinese people celebrate this all-important holiday. Both books include a chart of the 12-year Chinese zodiac; Lion Dancer adds a horoscope for each of the animal signs. Hou-Tien Cheng's The Chinese New Year (Holt, 1976) tells how the holiday is celebrated in China. Brown's book remains the best overall introduction to the Chinese-American celebration, with Lion Dancer a strong supplement for its immediacy, its vibrant color, and its sympathetic look at a Chinese family. --Margaret A. Chang, Buxton School, Williamstown, MA
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (January 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590430475
• ISBN-13: 978-0590430470
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 10 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Holidays & Festivals > Chinese New Year
  • #11 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Multicultural Stories > Asian & Asian American
  • #19 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Multicultural Stories > Asian & Asian American

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book for introducing Chinese New Year, January 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year (Library Binding)

This book is one of my favorite books for Chinese New Year celebration. The authors successfully capture the lively and warm atmosphere of New Year celebrating among Chinese. Through the realistic photograph as well as the text, the authors show readers the custom of the Chinese New Year, such as offering food and incense at the altar and wearing new clothes in New Year. In addition, the authors also appendix the Chinese horoscope to the end of the book. The Chinese horoscope is an important part of the Chinese culture and is still widely used among the Chinese community. The Chinese characters in the horoscope are also written correctly and beautifully in Chinese paint brush to represent the artistic aspect of Chinese writing system.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Demystifying the Lion, March 20, 2006

By 

Anthony E. Maddela "Reacts Sometimes" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year (Reading Rainbow Books) (Paperback)

If you have small children,their first encounter with the lion can be the stuff bad dreams are made of. Our 16-month-old son was both frightened and intrigued by the lion that came to the Chinese restaurant where our friends' son was enjoying his first birthday. The book follows Ernie Wan through his preparation to his first lion dance one Chinese New Year's day in New York's Chinatown. You see the customs and rituals that lead up to his debut. More important, you see the closeness of his family and the value of rites of passage in gathering people together. My family is not Chinese but my wife and I have immigrant parents. If you are trying to demonstrate why maintaining your cultural heritage is worthwhile, Lion Dancer will support your cause. My son literally drools on the pictures of the Chinese dishes and the kung-fu kicks of the lions amid the firecracker smoke. If I have a single criticism, it's that the pages of this paperback will fall out after repeated reading. And if I'm entitled to menion one mature indulgence, the book includes a section describing the personalities of the various animals in the Chinese lunar year. You might agree that the year you were born is more telling than the month.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Liondance fan!, September 15, 2005

By 

Melvin Roberts Jr. "Bladesaint" (Bensalem Pa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year (Reading Rainbow Books) (Paperback)

I thought the book was very interesting with wonderful pictures
for children to look at. Despite being written for children to enjoy, it gave some insight to anyone, curious about this aspect of Chinese culture.