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Dragon Dancing

Storytime and a birthday celebration inspire creative expression and imaginative play for a group of children in Carole Lexa Schaefer’s merry picture book. After their teacher reads a book about dragons, Mei Lin and her classmates decorate for her birthday celebration. Mei Lin turns herself into a birthday dragon, and soon everyone has something to contribute to the costume: “boink-boink” eyes from Willy, a “ricky-rack” back from Emma, feathers, spangles, scales, and more. Soon Mei-Lin is leading everyone in a dragon dance, “stomp, bomp-tromping away . . . out the whish-whoosh doors . . . creep-crouching through tall forests . . . swirl-whirling around whispery meadows . . .” Schaefer uses alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhythmic variation to create a delightful and satisfying story about a diverse and dynamic group of young children who travel far and wide across the landscape of their collective imagination. Honor Book, 2008 Charlotte Zolotow Award ©2008 Cooperative Children's Book Center

Illustrated by Pierr Morgan

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 3-6
Age Range: Babies/Toddlers (birth – 3) PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Asian Americans Celebrations, Holidays, and Observances Chinese and Chinese Americans Dance and Dancers Imagination/Imaginary Play Wordplay
Diversity subject: Asian

Publisher: Viking
Publish Year: 2007
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0670060844

CCBC Location: Picture Book, Schaefer

Dragon Dancing