$16.95, hardcover, 48 pages, full color, 1994, ISBN 1-881896-08-0, LC 93-85733

By Carol Stepanchuk

From the excitement of New Year firecrackers to the autumn magic of moongazing, children can share the holiday traditions of Chinese people everywhere. They will discover why children fly kites on Clear and Bright, and why everyone eats fish on New Year. They will learn why the Dragon Boat festival honors a poet, and how new babies are welcomed.

Stories, folklore, customs, and recipes for holiday treats are accompanied by enchanting illustrations, painted by some of China's best folk artists. Fun to read, lots of sidebars with cultural tidbits. This book is a must. For children from 5 to 12.

Note: Chinese New Year is February 12, 2002 --- Year of the Horse.

Carol Stepanchuk is a folklorist with a long-standing interest in Chinese festivals and popular culture. She is a writer, multicultural educator, and author of Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts: Festivals of China. She can be reached through e-mail at cstepanchuk@mediaone.net. Vibrant color illustrations of festivals and daily life are by Chinese folk artists from two very different areas of China --- Jinshan County and Hebei Province.


Reviewers comment on Red Eggs & Dragon Boats:

"Serving also as a wonderful primer for adults, this book follows a year of festivals and folk tales, recipes and traditions. It particularly emphasizes the joy and fullness of family life . . ."
------Berkeley Insider

"A worthwhile introduction to China through its festivals."
------Booklist

"This book validates a rich and ancient repertoire of folk customs."
------June Anderson, CA Academy of Sciences


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