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.

Gorgeous illustrations with a story about family, tradition, and the Chinese New Year. Seriously, the illustrations are stunning. I had a DRC, so I had to zoom in on them, but on paper this would be flawless. A little wordier than some other picture books, but the text flowed smoothly. An Author's Note at the end provides information about Chinese New Year.

This is an interesting story of Chinese New Year. Shen is going to be a dragon dancer, and dance bad luck away in the shopping mall. With only a little knowledge of Chinese New Year, this book is a bit hard to understand, but the author gives more detail in the end. The story is interesting and makes me want to learn more. Plus, the artwork is gorgeous.

Dragon Dancer is beautifully told. It incorporates the history of the Chinese celebration, the traditions that are passed from generation to generation, and the myth of good and bad luck. The story mirrors the dragon dance itself, begins quietly, crescendos into a wild swirl of color and noise, and then settles down after its purpose is done. The pictures are vibrant with color and takes the shape of the dragon moving across the page. This book would be an excellent read aloud for 1st to 4th grade students who are learning about Chinese New Year.

Dragon Dancer tells the story of a boy, Yao, who is preparing to wake Shen Long, the dragon, for the Chinese New Year celebration that will be happening that evening. Told in fantastic language, with the repetitive rhythmic cries of "BOOM BOOM BOOM" and "NOW NOW NOW", the story draws the reader in, layering magic on top of real life. However, the true stand out of this picture book are the stunning illustrations by artist Jeremy Pailler. Pailler's watercolor pictures breathe life into the story and will leave readers pouring over the images long after the words are over. A strong recommendation.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, a Singaporean boy named Yao waits to awaken the sky dragon, Shen Long. When he does, Yao will go on a magical adventure with the dragon, dancing the bad luck of the previous year away, and bringing in the good luck for a prosperous new year.

Originally released in the UK by Lantana Publishing in 2015, Dragon Dancer is a gorgeous book that draws on ancestry, legend, and tradition for Lunar New Year reading. The text pulses with the energy of the dragon dance, the art coming alive from the page as the dragon writhes, corkscrews, and spins away misfortune and welcomes in prosperity. The background pages remain starkly white, allowing the brilliant colors to spring off the page and into readers' imaginations. The music in the story urges dragon and dancer on, and draws the reader into the narrative: you can feel the drums pounding, the cymbals clashing, the crowds cheering. Yao thinks of his grandfather, hoping for his strength and guidance as he prepares to wake Shen Yao, and the dragon praises his skills as a dragon dancer. A note from the author provides a bit of personal experience of the New Year celebration. This one's a definite purchase for my holiday collection.

Wonderful story of the dragon dancer at Lunar New Year! I think the book will best serve children who are somewhat familiar with the holiday, tho' there is a very good explanation of the holiday at the end of the book. The tale is very exciting to read as it tells the tale of a young man's experience as a first time dragon dancer. The illustrations are very fluid and contain so much movement! I think kids 3rd up will enjoy it.

It is the eve of Chinese New Year and it is time for Yao to wake Shen Long, the sky dragon. Yao's grandfather used to be a dragon dancer, who would collect and dispell the bad luck that had accumulated over the previous year. The story is told from the perspective of Yao, the dragon dancer. To be sucessful as a dancer, you must feel the dragon is alive and that is the way Yao tells the story. You can feel the magic of the dragon as you read this story and gaze at the beautiful and exotic illustrations. The last page of the book gives a brief overview of Chinese New Year celebrations. A great book to add to a library about holidays, muli-culturalism and customs around the world. My grandson loved the illustrations in this book and wanted to know if he could be a dragon dancer. A great addition to a school or public library or even a family collection.