Publisher’s Weekly

A Chinese grandfather enthralls his grandson in this lightly fantastical work about a traditional celebration. The night before the Dragon Festival, Yeye tells the story of how the annual event got started. According to legend, the guardian dragons in every lake and river once carried the sun’s warmth, the sea’s breezes, and the sky’s rain to help humankind. When the Dragon King befriended poet Qu Yuan, the writer incorporated the dragon’s words “into poems about raindrops and rivers, the stars and the moon,” Matula notes. He also encouraged villagers to bang drums on launched boats by way of expressing resonant appreciation for the dragon’s guardianship. After the child dreams of dragons, the narrative picks up with a beat-by-beat accounting of the next day’s race, including the child’s small offering to “our dragon.” Wong’s finely detailed illustrations gesture at deep intergenerational affection while combining the detailed wonders of the dragon story with the day-of thrill of the race. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Back matter includes an author’s note and recipe. Ages 6–7.