Nian, the Chinese New Year Dragon

By Virginia Loh-Hagan, Timothy Banks (illustrator),

Book cover of Nian, the Chinese New Year Dragon

Book description

2020 EUREKA Excellence in Nonfiction Awards - Gold Winner 2020 Feather Quill Reviewer's Choice Award Mei hates springtime. Why? Because it's only in the spring that Nian, a fierce dragon, is able to leave his mountain prison under the sea to terrorize the local village. When the villagers hear the…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Nian, the Chinese New Year Dragon as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This book is a modern retelling of the ancient Nian-monster legend, which explains the traditions of the Chinese New Year. One of the best features of this story is the brave and strong heroine, Mei – here’s to girl power! Each spring, the Nian dragon terrorizes the local village, but this year, Mei receives a magical staff in her dream to defeat him. As she figures out how to use it, she teaches the villagers ways to protect themselves, including wearing red clothes, setting off firecrackers, and making food offerings. This isn’t just an action-packed story, but it teaches children…

From Jillian's list on Chinese New Year.

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