A fun, richly illustrated story that explores the multilayered traditions of Loongs in Asian culture.
In Li’s picture book, a lucky Loong teaches kids the truth about his often-misunderstood kind.
A bright red Loong (the Chinese word for dragon) with pointy teeth and flowing blue whiskers wakes among a group of young children and their teacher. While all are confused as to how Loong traveled all the way from the East China Sea to an American classroom, the students quickly deduce that their spirited celebrations of the Lunar New Year must have summoned him to them (just as “the Christmas spirit makes Santa’s sleigh fly!”). When Loong mentions that he is beloved the world over, a girl points out that many stories paint dragons in a bad light. Loong then sets them straight, noting how dragons are considered lucky in China before mysteriously disappearing. In defense of Loongs, the kids write letters to the authors of evil dragon stories to correct the narrative. Li’s story, despite some stilted prose, does a superb job of weaving together cross-cultural references and providing information about Asian traditions in an entertaining way. The real standout, however, is Lin’s artwork; every page is awash in reds and oranges, with small pops of color (Loong’s purple eyes, a student’s lime green skirt) delighting the eye. (The images themselves are simple and vaguely reminiscent of the Schoolhouse Rock! TV shorts of the 1970s.) The compelling facts and captivating pictures make for a worthwhile read.
A fun, richly illustrated story that explores the multilayered traditions of Loongs in Asian culture.Pub Date: Jan. 23, 2026
ISBN: 9781968048051
Page Count: 33
Publisher: Comma Books
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
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BOOK REVIEW
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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BOOK REVIEW
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