Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year

by Kate Waters, Madeline Slovenz-Low, Martha Cooper (Photographer)

A six-year-old boy performs his first Lion Dance in New York City’s Chinatown in this intimate look at a Chinese family celebrating the Chinese New Year!

Six-year-old Ernie Wan is the elder son of a kung fu master. He lives in Chinatown with his mother and father, his big sister Jenny, and his little brother Warren. ​​​​​​​This is the story of the most important day of Ernie’s life. He has studied kung fu at his father’s studio since he was three. And this Chinese New Year, he will perform his first Lion Dance on the streets of New York City. ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​Here is a rare and intimate look at a Chinese household as they embrace their ancient customs, celebrate their most important holiday, and share a proud moment with Ernie.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, China, Cultural, Childrens, Family, Holiday

32 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1990

About the author

Author Kate Waters went on to earn a B.A. from Newtown College of the Sacred Heart (Boston College) and a M.L.S. from Simmons' Graduate School of Library and Information Science. She grew up in a big family in which storytelling was very important. She worked as a librarian for ten years at the Boston Public Library. There she became very interested in telling stories to young people and finding out what they enjoyed reading. She moved to New York where she worked on a children's magazine. While working at the magazine, she started to think about new ways to present history and traditions to children. Her books include pictures of actors depicting the stories Kate writes. In addition, her books have been praised for their content and have won many awards. Kate currently lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Ernie is very excited, as this is the year he will perform in his first ever Lion Dance to celebrate Chinese New Year.

This is a fine photo-journal of all the activities leading up to the big performance, and also a record of how a small family prepares for a special holiday. An interesting an informative look at another culture, and highly recommended.

[Celia Buell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit 1/31/23: My kids at the Boys and Girls club love this one. I think it's something about the pictures and seeing the lived experiences of people their own age, but I've had at least three kids at work pick this one up independently of each other, including one or two who aren't usually as interested in the books I bring in. I love seeing that, especially with culturally relevant titles.

Ernie Wan is a young child (second or third grade from the pictures) who is excited to participate in his community's Chinese New Year Lion Dance for the first time. As Ernie and his siblings prepare for the Chinese New Year celebrations in their Chinatown streets, they practice different Chinese New Year traditions, including new clothes so evil spirits don't recognize them, and the various foods they eat and lay out for the ancestors. These explanations are detailed but simple enough for younger school-age children to understand. They are accompanied by colorful photographs of each activity.

I think kids will like this one because it depicts kids actively participating in traditions, rather than just learning about this one. When teaching about concepts, especially ones that would be unfamiliar or foreign to many students, it is important to feature children so young learners see people like them and see that these traditions are not just in faraway places with no relevance to them.

Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year was published in 1990, and I think it's a good example of children's nonfiction that still definitely holds up today.

*Read for: Children's Book group (Picture Book Club) - January 2023 New Year's Celebrations

[Claire Binkley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the next discard I handled this morning. (Why the east-Asian focus this morning I have no clue.) I found it adorable and true, though the pinyin happy new year must be a different way from how I've learned it since I drew a total blank looking at that.
(Possibly it was Cantonese instead of Mandarin?)

INDEED GOOGLE SAYS: "The most common Chinese ways of saying Happy New Year are Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin) and Gong Hey Fat Choy (Cantonese). Even though the pronunciations are a little different, both are written the same way."

The latter way was how it was romanised in this text, while I've only said the former to my friends.

So hurrah for not only there being millions of people around me speaking in different languages, but also hurrah for the myriads of different dialects!

[Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year is one of those rare nonfiction picture books that feels both personal and celebratory. We follow six year old Ernie Wan as he prepares for his very first Lion Dance an honor that represents discipline, skill, and deep cultural pride. The book brings to life the energy of Chinatown during the Lunar New Year, filled with bright costumes, rhythmic drums, and the excitement of a community coming together.

What makes this story stand out is its authenticity. Ernie isn’t a fictional character he’s a real boy with real nerves and real dreams. We get to see his family dynamic, including a father who teaches kung fu and a supportive household that passes traditions down with love. The real photographs by Martha Cooper add emotional warmth and make the experience feel immersive and true.

This book is:

A celebration of Chinese American heritage A fantastic resource for cultural education in classrooms
A relatable story about tackling a big moment with bravery
A colorful introduction to one of the world’s most cherished holidays

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fascinating nonfiction book tells young readers about Chinese New Year by showing how one family in New York City’s Chinatown celebrates this special holiday. With awesome color photographs and a simple narrative style, the author of Sarah Morton’s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl takes kids through the special day by following Ernie Wan, who has the exciting honor of performing his first Lion Dance on the city streets. While this book was written in 1990, the pictures aren’t too outdated for kids today. This is a good resource to have on the bookshelf for those who would like to learn more about this holiday.

[Amanda Herman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is a non-fiction account of a young boy who lives in Chinatown in New York. Through photographs, we get to see what his neighborhood is like, including the streets and his Chinese school. Readers get a glimpse at his father’s kung fu school and also what it is like to practice and be a part of the Chinese New Year celebration. It describes the customs behind the clothing and food that are used and discusses the Buddhist religionist ceremonies as well. The book concludes with a look at the Chinese lunar calendar and descriptions of the Chinese horoscope. While the book is a little dated (1990) and the photographs give evidence of this, I feel it is a nice way of giving students a glimpse into what life is like for a child whose family follows the traditions of the Chinese culture.

[Marissa Donchess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like this book was very fascinating. It shows how this young boy, Ernie, celebreates Chinese New Year his way. It has great bright pictures that helps show how his culture is done and the way that he celebrates this holiday. I found this book very interesting because I like to see the differences among different languages and how some celebreate their holidays differently then the way that we celebreate ours. Overall, this book would be very helpful if you are trying to teach your students about Chinese New Year!

[Alysse · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book titled Lion Dancer was about a young boy named Ernie and his preparation for his first lion dance. A tradition for the Chinese New Year is for children to preform their first Lion Dance on the Streets on NYC. He prepares by practicing his dance and getting his costume ready. He and his family have dinner and bless it at the alter. They go to bed and wake back up at 11pm to get ready for the big dance. The child talks about how important this is to him and how exciting it is!

[Mrs. Ruigrok · Rating 3 out of 5]

With clear photos and good language, this book tells of the traditions of Chinese New Year, as experienced by a child and his family living in New York City. It was quite informative and people wanting to learn about the customs and traditions of Chinese New Year would enjoy this book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was going to be pitched cause it hasn't been borrowed for a while but it actually has some good information in it so I'll keep it around and hopefully read it with some classes next year even though the pictures are quite dated.

[Jc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chinese New Year in New York City is a sight to behold.

[Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read Spanish version “la danza del León”

Very educational book

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dated but interesting way to learn about Chinese New Year. Kiddo wasn't so sure about the talk of evil spirits.

[Nikki Chadwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-fiction book gives a realistic view into a modern day celebration of the Chinese New Year. This story intrigues children because it provides an informative plot with a use of language that is age-appropriate that entices students to think, question and reconsider the world around them. The characters are one hundred percent realistic and therefore convincing. The illustrations correspond to both the text and the setting, plot, and characters; and hold interest to the reader, which enhance and add to the story. The lives of the characters are genuine and complex, and their speech in the story is true to the culture and oral tradition of the Chinese-American community during modern times. The characters are not presented in a negative light; therefore, no negative stereotypes are represented.

[Bart Everson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a children's book about a young boy in New York City who is learning to participate in an ancient Chinese cultural tradition. It is illustrated with lots of photographs, and I believe it is based on real people.

I have read this to my daughter dozens of times. She is now five years old and still requests it frequently. It is undoubtedly her favorite book. It never gets old. To me it seems quite serviceable, but I give it five stars because my daughter holds it in such high regard. She is the target audience after all.

[Victoria Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great non fiction book about the Chinese New Year. It is all about a little boy who is performing the Lion dance on Chinese New Year. It shows boy practicing, getting ready for the parade, during the parade and what is celebrated on Chinese New Year. I think this is a great book to read to learn about the Chinese New Year and the Lion Dance. It also shows the excitement that Eric feels about performing in the Lion Dance. I really enjoyed it because of the photographs. They were colorful and really showed the beauty and the excitement this night entails.

[Brooke Devarennes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I put this book in my Art shelf because there are opportunities to create Chinese New Year traditional decorations. Also, instead of illustrations there is photography. This book is about what an average family does living in Chinatown during the Chinese New Year. It is a day in the life of an elementary aged student and how he gets ready for the Holiday. This book is great for ESOL students and Social Studies because of the cultural elements.

[Kasmarine · Rating 3 out of 5]

what is going on at Chinatown on Chinese New Year Day? Dragon Dance. Firecrackers. Colorful decorations and clothes. Delicious food. Red lucky money envelopes. Well, Ernie Wan will tell his readers what life if like for a Chinese boy on a day such as this. The readers will get a glimpse of his private life through the wonderful medium of photographs.

[Gala · Rating 5 out of 5]

The colors and pictures in this book are beautiful. I just want to look at the pictures. My first book like this was called Empty Pot with a little boy on a mission. This is a fun book with a nice story of a little boy doing his first performance in New York. Colorful decorations and the clothes are different from what they wear now.

[Ginny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't my favorite non-fiction book. It seemed extremely dated and although the author made an attempt to make it realateable by following one particular child and his traditional New Year. The text just fell flat and I don't think it has much kid appeal.

[Mrs. Wynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives children a look at a Chinese-American boy's first lion dance during Chinese New Year. Shares some of the traditions associated with the holiday. Chinese calendar of the 12 animals in back which the students enjoyed hearing about.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informational picture book about Chinese New Year as seen through the eyes of young Ernie Wan. Dry, but interesting. Fun photos.

themes: China Town, Chinese New Year, dance, family, Lion Dance, New York City

[Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ernie does the lion dance. W.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of a young boy and the dance he gets to do for the Chinese new year. Good multiculturalism, fun way to introduce new ideas

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfect for learning about Chinese New Year traditions. (Great for ELD...my school library has it in big book format.) Would pair nicely with the fictional story Sam and the Lucky Money.

[Mills College Library]

Picture W329L 1990

[Chanel · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love the actual photographs in the book. It really gives you insight on the culture.