We Are Lion Dancers

Toddler-K–It’s Lunar New Year and siblings Lily and Noah are ready to learn more about the lion dance that scares away evil and brings good luck. The lion dance is performed at weddings, the openings of new shops, Lunar New Year, and other festivities. The siblings learn that it takes teamwork to pull the strings in the lion’s head, wiggle its tail, and play the instruments. When the costume gets too heavy, Lily and Noah must find other ways to stay involved. They make a cardboard lion at home. Then, during the Lunar New Year parade, they bang the gong and crash the cymbals. Young readers will enjoy the simple prose layered with sound and movement words, as well as the gentle way in which the book teaches. Cartoonlike characters and the limited palette, with pages awash in pinks, blues, and yellows, add to the youthful effect.