Roseanne Thong - Red is a Dragon: A Book of Colors

For Foong Sze, Foong Yann, Sheng Zhou and all children
who delight in the colors around them. R. T. To Linda S. Wingerter, who, when I asked her to pick a color,
always chose green. L. Text 2001 by Roseanne Thong.
Illustrations 2001 by Grace Lin.
Performance copyright 2013 by Chronicle Books LLC.
All rights reserved. Text 2001 by Roseanne Thong.
Illustrations 2001 by Grace Lin.
Performance copyright 2013 by Chronicle Books LLC.
All rights reserved.

Book design by Sara Gillingham.
Typeset in Albertus.
The illustrations in this book were rendered in gouache. ISBN 978-1-4521-3419-2 (epub 3)
ISBN 978-1-4521-3282-2 (epub 2)
ISBN 978-1-4521-3417-8 (epib)
ISBN 978-1-4521-3415-4 (mobi)
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Thong, Roseanne.
Red is a dragon / by Roseanne Thong ; illustrated by Grace Lin.
p. cm.
Summary: A Chinese American girl provides rhyming descriptions of the great variety of colors she sees around her,
from the red of a dragon, firecrackers, and lychees to the brown of ginger, soy sauce, and her teddy bear.
ISBN 0-8118-3177-9
[1. ColorFiction. 2. 3. 3.

Stories in rhyme.]
I. Lin, Grace, ill. II. Title.
PZ8.3.T328 Re 2001
[E]--dc21
2001000093 Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street, San Francisco, California 94107 www.chroniclekids.com Red is a dragon
Red is a drum Red are the firecrackers
here they come! Red are melons
cool and sweet Red are lychees
a summer treat Orange are the crabs
that dance in the sand And so is the seashell
I hold in my hand Yellow are incense sticks
and flowers Yellow are flames
that burn for hours Yellow are raincoats
and bright rubber boots Yellow is a taxi
that honks and toots Green are the toads
beneath my pail Bottle gourds
and crunchy kale Green is a bracelet
made of jade Green is the purse
my auntie made Blue is a pool
for making a wish Dragonflies and
shimmering fish Blue are the sneakers
on my shelf Blue is the ribbon
I won myself Purple are clouds
at the end of the day Purple is a kite
that sails away Pink is a peony
Pink is a rose Pink is the sunlight
on my nose Pink are an opera
singers eyes And a silk fan
that hides her surprise Brown is my grandpas
hat I wear Brown is my favorite
teddy bear White are noodles
and chopsticks, too White are dumplings
for me and you! The world is a rainbow
for us to explore What colors are waiting
outside your door?

SOME OF THE WORDS FOUND IN THIS BOOK Bottle gourd: A pear-shaped vegetable eaten in soups, stir-fried or boiled. It is often pictured in Chinese design and art. Chopsticks: Two thin sticks used to pick up food.

They are usually made of wood, plastic or bamboo. Dragon: Chinese dragons help people rather than harm them. A New Year dragon dance brings good luck and scares away evil spirits. Dumplings: Small pockets of dough filled with meat or vegetables, shaped like half moons. Firecrackers: Chinese firecrackers are tiny red cylinders that hang in long strings. Incense sticks: Sandalwood sticks that give off a sweet-smelling smoke when burned. Incense sticks: Sandalwood sticks that give off a sweet-smelling smoke when burned.

They are used for prayer or worship. Jade: A hard, usually green- or white-colored gemstone used to make jewelry and art objects. It is thought to offer protection to those who keep it. Lychee: A small, oval fruit from Southern China that grows on trees and ripens in early summer. It has bumpy red skin and a sweet white translucent center. Peony: Known as the queen of flowers, the peony is a popular Chinese flower.

It represents springtime and wealth. Silk fans: Fans have been used in China for more than three thousand years. After the invention of silk, artists and scholars began to decorate silk fans with poetry and pictures.