The Day the Dragon Danced

Sugar and her Grandma are going to the Chinese New Year's Day parade, but Grandma is skeptical about New Year's in February and scary dragons. Sugar has learned all about what to expect from her teacher Miss Peng, though, and is more than ready to try dragon beard's candy and watch her daddy dance in the New Year's dragon. Finally, after all the other floats drive by, the huge red and gold dragon pokes his head around the corner and dances down the street. Sugar tries to remember which shoes are her daddy's, and realizes the dragon isn't dancing so well. Sugar's quick thinking saves the day and the dragon's dance, and everyone in the community is ready to celebrate the new lunar year. As the dragon dancers emerge from beneath the dragon, Sugar recognizes her neighbors, including shopkeeper Mr. Chu, barber Mr. Johnson, teacher Mr. Gonzalez, and her own African-American daddy. Kay Haugaard's exuberant storytelling and Carolyn Reed Barritt's equally colorful and lively paintings perfectly embody truly multicultural celebration of our American melting pot.