LONG-LONG'S NEW YEAR: A Story About the Chinese Spring Festival

Newcomer Gower's tale of a boy and his grandfather in rural China contains a knowledgeable introduction to the Chinese New Year. Like a hero in a picaresque novel, the dutiful Long-Long meets many difficulties as he travels with his grandfather to the marketplace to sell their cabbages and earn money for the Chinese Spring Festival. The marvelous paintings on pages that resemble yellowed parchment depict a maze of faces, bicycles, fabrics, foods and colors. In search of festival presents for his family, Long-Long literally bumps into a lady who gives him an orange; he earns money for pumping tires at a bicycle shop and convinces a restaurant owner to buy his grandfather's fine cabbages. As a reward, his grandfather gives Long-Long 10 yuan with which the boy purchases gifts in the Hundred Goods Store. A wordless spread brims with the dragons, drummers and costumed marchers on stilts in a parade. The text may be clunky in spots, but the plot offers the artist plenty of occasions for a series of bustling scenes. Readers may well enjoy flipping back through the pages to peruse the detailed paintings, and the educational value of the book is underscored by the back matter. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)