"Please don’t leave me alone grandmother! I cannot sleep!" the small girl cried softly from her bed! "Why do I have to listen to that awful noise?"

"Do not be afraid child. It is because of the noise and the bright lights that you need not be!"

The old woman sat on the edge of her grand-daughter’s bed, knowing full well that she had never, on this night, missed telling her the story!

"All right child. I will tell you the story again, but listen carefully. Listen and then sleep so that you can start tomorrow with the energy that every child needs to succeed in a new year. "...taken from The Dragon New Year (ISBN 1-55192-200-2)

AWARDS:

Awaded the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Medal - the best illustrated English language children's book of the year published in Canada in 1999-2000. This presitigious award is sponsored by the Canadian Library Association (CLA).

Shortlisted for the Governor General's Award - 1999-2000.

Join a wise, old grandmother and her innocent, young granddaughter in this charming and masterfully illustrated follow-up to David Bouchard and Zhong-Yang Huang's The Great Race.

In The Dragon New Year, author Bouchard spins an enticing tale involving a monstrous sea dragon, a mother's sorrow, and a magical Buddha. Combined with bold and imaginative illustrations by acclaimed artist Huang, this story of courage and kindness, love and revenge will delight both children and adults alike.

AUTHOR'S COMMENT:

This is the second in our Chinese Trilogy. As was the first, it was also nominated for the Governor General Award.

This story came to me via a grade six boy at Chartwell School in West Vancouver, British Columbia. Jack Wei told me about how a dragon came to feed on the people of his village - once every year. However, Jack forgot what happened after the old lady in his telling swore to never again flee the dragon. I've dedicated the book to oung Jack Wei.