Happy Chinese New Year, Kai-lan! (Ni Hao, Kai-lan)
Kindergarten-Grade 2—This story, based on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon series, introduces children to the Chinese New Year. Kai-lan and her friends are getting ready for a big celebration. They hang red lanterns and banners and place flowers on the tables. During this preparation, Kai-lan's grandfather, YeYe, comes by wearing a dragon costume. He suggests that the children work together to carry the dragon in the parade. He has each one take a number from his hat so they will know which end of the creature to hold up. Rintoo is unhappy when he draws the middle, a position he feels is the least important. However, the entire dragon sags when he refuses to hold up his part, and Kai-lan convinces him that each part is "super, super, super important." The cartoons are bright and colorful. Kai-lan and her grandfather are the only human characters; the rest are cuddly, anthropomorphic animals. This book promises to be a welcome addition to the series.—Donna Atmur, Los Angeles Public LibraryCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.