An ancient dragon and a young boy weave magic together to drive away bad luck and draw in the good.

Once a year Shen Long, a great blue-scaled tian long luck dragon, is woken from his slumber to dance the dragon’s dance of luck and prosperity. Always before had it been Grandfather who danced with Shen Long, but this year, Yao must take up the mantle and perform alongside the dragon. Yao hopes to dance well, to honour Grandfather, and prove himself a worthy partner to Shen Long.

I love this story! It’s all about a new dragon dancer performing the dragon dance for prosperity and luck and a shopping mall. It’s the first time he’s done the dance alone. At first Yao has some worries, but they quickly fade under the magic of the dance, which we see from Yao’s imaginative perspective. It’s a story that pays homage to the true power of our imagination, and it teaches about the luck dances and when/why/where they are done. At the end is an informative section about the Chinese Lunar New Year.

This artwork is gorgeous. Shen Long is amazing! I wish I could dance with the dragon. It’s clear the artist loves their work, and new the topic well. Sometimes you get art that doesn’t match cultural stories because the artist isn’t as deeply acquainted with the story. Not so here! I read this with my cubs and it was a big hit with all of them. We have plans to get a hardcopy of the book.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Myrick Marketing & Media for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.