Paper Crafts for Chinese New Year »

Do you want to make your own dancing dragon puppet? Dragon dances are an important part of Chinese New Year celebrations. Follow storyteller Randel McGee as he explores Chinese New Year in Paper Crafts for Chinese New Year. Learn to make a Lai See envelope, shadow puppets, Chinese lantern, and more!

Children's Literature

A title in the "Paper Craft Fun for Holidays" series from the Enslow Elementary imprint, Mr. McGee's aim is to inspire young artists to create simple (but unique) crafts for their Chinese New Year celebrations at school or at home. The book opens with a brief introduction to the Chinese holiday, which is celebrated each year in late January or early February. Chinese New Year is filled with many fun, lively traditions, as well as beautiful symbols, which the author draws upon for the eight projects described in the book. Each art project begins with an explanation about how the craft the child is about to make relates to a specific Chinese New Year custom or symbol. How-to directions for each craft project start with a complete list of what will be needed to make it—-and thankfully, everything on that list is either already in the arts and crafts bin or easy to buy. Each major step in construction is accompanied by a full color photo, which is great for visual learners. Patterns for surface decorations are printed at the back of the book, ready for tracing paper. Also included are sections about books and websites where students can find out more about Chinese New Year, a complete subject index, and an "About the Author" page. This hardcover book is bound with reinforced library binding and meets the National Standards for Arts Education standards. It is a great choice for classroom or library! Reviewer: Dianne Ochiltree

Chinese New Year!     4
Dancing Dragon Puppet     6
Tangram     10
Lion Dancer Mask     14
Lai See, Red Gift Envelope     18
Shadow Puppets     22
Chinese Lantern     26
Firecracker Decorations     30
Chinese Symbols Banners     34
Patterns     38
Read About (Books and Internet Addresses)     44
Index     46
About the Author     47