RED IS A DRAGON

Pure, bright colors, excellent use of pattern, and Chinese-influenced composition and perspective dovetail neatly with color rhymes from the pair who brought readers Round Is a Mooncake (2000). A Chinese-American girl catalogues the colors in her life: “Pink is a peony / Pink is a rose / pink is the sunlight / on my nose” and “Green is a bracelet / made of jade / Green is the purse / my auntie made.” Like the purple kite, the red dragon, and the white dumplings, many of the items she chooses spring from her Asian heritage. The family festivals and rituals, and the child’s open response to nature and to play, are irresistibly apparent, and invite readers in with a double-paged, full-bleed spread for each color. The rhymes bounce along quite effortlessly, buoyed by the vivid colors that echo each verse. A glossary adds strength to this jaunty cultural salute. (Picture book. 3-8)