The Quest for a Tangram Dragon by Christine Liu-Perkins, illustrated by Lynn Scurfield

This is a unique story with a hands-on twist. The setting is swathes of inky brown, gray, and muddy greens. Plopped into the middle of it is a bright blue Little Triangle, on the search for a dragon to provide water to the thirsty land. When it runs into a little orange triangle, the two work together until they turn into... a butterfly!

As more and more shapes are encountered, they transform into various creatures, continuing their quest for the dragon. Finally, once they have gathered all the shapes together, they work hard, forming and reforming shapes until... they become the dragon!

The contrast between the scenic paintings and the brightly colored shapes really makes the shaped characters pop off the page. The book alternates between the story and plain white backgrounds showing the different shapes moving into different configurations. An author's note explains the background of tangrams, the significance of the different animals they form, a little about the history of the game, and how tangrams build math and spatial skills.

The story is deceptively simple, but can be read over and over again, finding new details and formations each time, much like playing with tangrams. A message of resilience and collaboration runs throughout it as well as the other skills taught by tangrams.

Verdict: This unique book works equally well as a storytime or classroom read-aloud. A set of "tans" is included on the jacket flap, but you can easily make or purchase your own. Recommended for public, school, and classroom libraries.

ISBN: 9781547608058; Reinforced/Picture book on Baker & Taylor for $15.19

Published August 2024 by Bloomsbury; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library