In The Dragon New Year (Raincoast, $19.95), by David Bouchard, a grandmother explains the clashing cymbals, blazing fireworks and fearsome Dragon Dance that announce the beginning of the Chinese New Year. It's the noise and fire, she reassures her little granddaughter, that keeps them safe. This is Bouchard's second collaboration with Zhong-Zang Huang. Their first book in the Chinese Legend series was The Great Race. 1-55192-200-2

[BCBW AUTUMN 1999]