A name for sister

In Cheng and Diao's fantastical romp rooted, per an author's note, in "the elemental meanings behind Chinese words," an older sibling is the wide-eyed witness to an extraordinary naming ritual. As an infant, Sister has "toes like grains of rice... hair as dark as sesame sweets," but no name. Early one morning following the baby's birth, the Chinese family is visited by a teller, a gray-haired elder who explains that the arrival of five spirits, "each with gifts to offer," will inform the infant's name. One by one, beings representing fire, earth, gold, water, and wood appear with arrayed offerings. Earth Spirit, for example, furnishes "warm dirt; a tuft of wild-dog hair; and sweet, crunchy potato puffs" along with a blessing: "May she have the honesty and stability of Earth." Digitally rendered domestic scenes provide a neutral backdrop for luminous spirits described in incantatory prose, rendering a traditional process tinged with hopes and dreams. Ages 4--8. (Mar.)

After Sister is born, five spirits bestow blessings upon her. A child in a Chinese family explains that Sister wasn't given a name before birth, as her name must reflect who she will become and cannot be chosen before she arrives. Instead, a fortune teller comes, calculates the exact time of Sister's birth, and proclaims that "five spirits will visit, each with gifts to offer." The glowing, ghostly spirits arrive one after the other, each symbolizing one of the five elements in Chinese philosophy: Fire (a phoenixlike bird), Earth (an elklike creature), Gold (a tiger), Water (a turtle), and Wood (a dragon). Cheng includes both the traditional Chinese characters (and Pinyin, or romanization) for the elements; each element's radical (a prominent element of a written Chinese character) is highlighted in color. These radicals are then rearranged into the three characters that form the baby's name. Diao's delicate artwork is engaging and sweet, with humorous touches in domestic settings, but the story may be confusing for those unfamiliar with how Chinese characters are constructed, making the choice of gifts seem a bit random and the climax revealing the baby's name less triumphant. The author's note clarifies matters, but it isn't written for young children; adults sharing this one with youngsters should be prepared to offer plenty of explanation. Charming illustrations enhance an overly ambitious text.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.