Here comes the Dragon!

Photo credit Right Attitudes

Here comes the year of the Dragon! Is your family celebrating the Lunar (Chinese) New Year? If so, Happy New Year to you! 2012 is the year of the amazing dragon, an auspicious symbol which stands for power, good luck, success, and happiness.  Sounds pretty good to me.  As you probably know, each lunar year is associated with one of twelve animals, and one full cycle is sixty years. If you’d like to know more about the Year of the Dragon, simply watch this great CBC segment.  Now... Which animal are you?   

At home, we’ve long determined having three loyal dogs, a social rat, a passionate tiger, and a very smart monkey that keeps us entertained. If you'd like to know more about this, here's a good zodiac site for kids just scroll down to see the chart.  If you're into crafts, here's a good site as well.

During the weekend our family has been reading Chinese Zodiac charts, we’ve peeked at the different horoscopes and read the predictions for the year to come. We've also gotten to know the dragon a little better, and it's simply fascinating.  We might even attempt making some lanterns after school today.  Now, I must say that my very favourite thing to do with the family this week will be revisiting these fabulous versions of traditional Chinese stories. They’ve been pulled out of the bookshelf and are ready to go!   The kids simply love them, and we (adults) do too!  Do you know them?

*The Great Race, The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac.

This particular version is by David Bouchard a Canadian author I was lucky enough to meet once upon a time. We love his work and have many of his books. I bought this particular copy second-hand, and there’s an inscription in it. It reads:

Christopher, I hope I know you for countless birthdays. Yeats says – Hearts are not had as a gift but hearts are earned. Therefore accept this book as a gift and a gesture that we will earn eachother’s hearts. Yours, Kathleen.

So sad the book was sold considering the spirit in which it was given, don’t you think? Gotta wonder what happened between them.  It's the one and only book I've ever seen in the second-hand bin with an inscription.

*The Dragon New Year also by David Bouchard. 

It's worth noting that both of these books are illustrated with paintings by the ever so talented Zhong-Yang Huang. Do you know his work? If not, run and discover it. Your kids (and yourself!) will love his incredible paintings, they truly bring these legends to life.

Finally we’ll read...

*The Dragon Prince by Laurence Yep, illustrated by Kam Mak.

This book also has an inscription written by a dear friend and dedicated to myself and the once upon a time kids in my class, it reads:

To my friends in Mme D.’s class, Thank you for inviting me to your class. It was fun to read to you. You are excellent listeners. Keep reading and please remember the lessons of this story, always. Love, Mrs. Mc.

My dear friend died of Cancer a few years later so this book and inscription are revisited with a little more appreciation year after year. It’s also pretty safe to say this book will never ever be found in a second-hand bin.  
Do you write inscriptions on the books you give?   I always do, and so do the kids.  But back to the dragon.... Any favourite reads to mark the Lunar New Year you'd like to share with us?