Logan can't wait for tonight's big lantern festival - and he's crafted an enchanting little dragon lantern to join the celebration. But when the lights fade and the shadows grow, his treasured dragon becomes afraid of the dark.
With fireworks rumbling overhead and vibrant lanterns glowing all around, Logan will need to muster all his courage to get himself and his little dragon to the festival. Along the way, he discovers something magical: bravery isn't just about facing what's scary - it's about lighting the way for those we care about.
Set against the shimmering backdrop of Lunar New Year festivities, this tender, uplifting tale celebrates the bonds of friendship, the spark of courage, and the joy of traditions passed down through generations.---from the publisher
32 pages 978-1526669506 Ages 3-6
Keywords: Lunar New Year, lanterns, holidays, customs and traditions, dragons, fear of the dark, helping others, dealing with fears, Asian culture, friendship, courage, Seollal, Chūnjié, 3 year old, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old
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In China, as the first new moon swells to its full glory, the festivities for the Lunar New Year are drawing to a close, and Yuan Xiao Jie - the Lantern Festival - is imminent. Like his friends, Logan has made a lantern to be released into the night sky carrying a wish as the celebrations draw to a close. Logan's lantern is in the shape of a little dragon with golden wings, a paper tail and two black beans for eyes, and his mama carefully places a candle inside.
As night falls the houses are lit up but as Logan steps outside. something squeezes his hand really tightly. It is his little dragon who confesses he is afraid of the dark...
With fireworks rumbling overhead and vibrant lanterns glowing all around, can Logan muster all his courage to get himself and his little dragon to the festival? Is being brave about facing what's scary - or is it about lighting the way for those we care about?
Set against the dramatic backdrop of the night sky, lit up by the lights and the fireworks as well as the vivid colours of the traditional flying fish and the children's lanterns, this is a story that doesn't just tell of Logan's physical journey to the festival, but also his emotional one as step by step he ventures a little further and encouraging his dragon to do the same. He forgets his own fears as he helps the little creature navigate his. So as well as learning about this end-of-celebration festival when often the focus is on its beginnings, young readers might also relate to Logan as he finds his way through the dark to the lights and the rewards to be found at the top of the hill as the moon shows its full face. Just as the moon rises and the sky gets a little lighter, so too does the dragon's grip on Logan's hand, so older readers might relate to the analogy of them overcoming what is holding them back, perhaps symbolised by the night sky of the illustrations, while being inexorably drawn forward to the reward/lights as they conquer their demons.
This year, 2026, Lunar New Year falls on February 17th and it is the Year of the Fire Horse, while the Lantern Festival is Tuesday, March 3, 2026. As well as acknowledging the heritage and beliefs of many of our students by sharing an engaging story, and working towards the outcomes of Intercultural Understanding, one of the General Capabilities of the Australian Curriculum, focusing on reflecting on culture and cultural diversity, engaging with cultural and linguistic diversity and navigating intercultural contexts, there are so many opportunities to engage students in real-life learning across the curriculum as they investigate everything from the structure of the lunar calendar and other calendars commonly used to the traditional foods shared at the time to the beliefs, traditions, routines, rituals, and symbols that underpin the annual festivities. A search of SCIS for "lunar new year" reveals many sources of information It was always one of the richest periods for teaching and learning during my in-school days.
The opportunities for students to locate information and to use what they have learned to create and contribute to displays is endless.
This review can also be found here.
Recommended by: Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, New South Wales AUSTRALIA
See more of her recommendations:
500 Hats http://500hats.edublogs.org/
The Bottom Shelf http://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/
