Rebecca Lim (text) and Cai Tse (illustrator), Our family dragon: A Lunar New Year story, Allen & Unwin, November 2023, RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781761180637
With the new Year of the Dragon coming in February 2024, Our family dragon is a timely picture book about Lunar New Year customs. It is written by award winning author, Rebecca Lim, and illustrator, Cai Tse, both of whom are Australians of Asian descent.
I was impressed with how cleverly the text and images work together to describe ancient Lunar New Year customs and festivities, and the beliefs behind them, in a way that is accessible and engaging for young children. This is achieved by Lim’s careful choice of words with succinct explanations and Tse’s bold images that add meaning by depicting concrete examples of activities and objects.
I also love how the enthusiastic first-person voice of a child narrator builds the excitement and enjoyment of the festival, from preparations to a spectacular lion and dragon parade, to anticipation of the dragon’s arrival and finally a surprise guest. Tse’s bold, bright, energetic images of traditional decorations, delicious food, and characters with animated facial expressions are just magnificent and add to the tone of exuberance. The huge, bright red dragon images, filling the pages, hint at the mystical, ancient traditions of the festival and the powerful nature of the dragon.
But most unique of all are subtle references to a familiar Australian, contemporary backdrop, with images of a red dragon flying over a darkened Sydney skyline, a typical Australian suburban home and people wearing western style clothing. This makes the book highly relevant to children living in Australia who celebrate Lunar New Year.
I highly recommend Out family dragon for children aged 3-7 years old whose families are planning the Year of the Dragon festivities, as well as any families who want to learn about festivals different to their own.
Reviewed by Barbara Swartz