Theme: The children’s book, The Last Dragon, can be used to introduce your students to the Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year, Chinese/Asian-American communities and friendship between young and older generations.

Pre-reading: Show students the cover of the book, read its title and the names of the author and illustrator. Ask them why they think Peter does not want visit his great aunt. Ask if there is anyone in the class who doesn’t want to go away for the summer – why? The location of the book is set in Chinatown. Where is the nearest Chinatown located? Have the students look at a map and find it. Has anyone in the class ever visited a Chinatown? Where was it located? How did they like it? Was it very different from their hometown?

Reading: As you read, show the class the illustrations. Have students look closely at the pictures. What details can they find? Have them look at Peter’s expressions. How do they change during the story? Can they tell what the characters are feeling by looking at the illustrations?

Interview: Ask students to talk with some seniors. Ask them if they can help draw a dragon on a piece of paper. Talk to them about their life and write a short story about it.

Geography: Have the students plan a trip to Chinatown. What would they buy? What type of foods are available in Chinatown? Would they try these foods? Ask the class to find China and the United States on a globe or world map.

Social Studies: Learn how other cultures around the world celebrate the Lunar New Year. Read Brothers by Yin to learn about early American Immigration and the beginning of San Francisco’s Chinatown.

Talk about immigration. Where did everyone’s ancestors come from? Are there any immigrants in the class? What about the students’ parents and grandparents. What countries did they come from? Make a list of all the countries and post it on the class wall or bulletin board.

Make a guidebook to Chinatown. Cover topics like the names of cities where a Chinatown can be found, customs, traditions, folklore, early history, food, games, traditional dress, etc.

Literature: Read other books about the Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year such as Celebrating Chinese New Year by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith, Gung Hay Fat Choy by Terry Behrens, Lion Dancer by Kate Waters. Look for other books by Susan Miho Nunes or Chris Soentpiet.

Art: Make a paper dragon and have each student work on a section of the dragon’s body. Use paper, fabric, yarn and other craft items to decorate the dragon. Then, connect the pieces of the dragon and start your own dragon dance or parade.

If you enjoyed reading The Last Dragon write a review and post it online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble so others can enjoy your reading experience.

 

Susan Miho Nunes

Susan Miho Nunes is very interested in the mix of cultures that make up American life. Nunes, a native of Hawaii and now a resident of California, has Japanese and Portuguese ancestry. Her son and nephews share this background, as well as different combinations of Jewish, Persian, African American, and American Indian ancestry.

Her interest in blended cultures is reflected in Nunes’s book The Last Dragon. She explains, “My mother used to say that the problem with children is that in time they wipe out your history. Indeed, here in America that history is sometimes lost in the great brew. On one level, then, The Last Dragon is about a child who discovers something unique about himself and his culture. But I hope this ‘message’ doesn’t drown out other points. There is something about this dragon.”