Dancing Lion!

Students from the Shaolin Temple Kung Fu School perform a lion dance to help ring in the Chinese New Year: 4697, the Year of the Hare.

In Chinese celebrations, the lion is a lucky charm for bringing prosperity in the new year. The lion is decorated with bright colors, especially red, in Chinese tradition the luckiest of all colors.

Inside the lion that danced at Little Panda Restaurant in Chesapeake Beach were Scott Westcamp and Larry Cress.

The Chinese calendar uses 12 animal signs to represent years. Each one tells what that year will be like and what people born in that year will be like. Here's the horoscope for this year and the people born in it:

Luckiest of all signs, you are also talented and articulate. Affectionate, yet shy, you seek peace throughout your life. Marry a Sheep or Boar. Your opposite is the Cock.

(Unscramble) this special message:
pahyp ewn erya!

Going to the Movies

This week's review: Rugrats

Randy Depfer Jr., a five-year-old from Severn, is our junior reviewer this week. He saw Rugrats, the new animated movie from Nickelodeon and Paramount, co-directed by Norton Virgien and Igor Kovalyov. It has all the characters from the TV series - Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Angelica and the grown-ups - on their biggest adventure ever. It also introduces Tommy's new little brother, Baby Dylan (Dil). Here's what Randy had to say about it:

Q: How did it start?

A: They went down in the woods in a wagon and they crashed.

Q: What did you like best about it?

A: I liked the movie because it's funny. Tommy was the funniest because when Baby Dil had poopie in his pants, he said "eeeww!"

Q: Who was the best character?

A: Chuckie's my favorite because he's always scared. At the very end, the monkey took Baby Dill's pacifier and the monkey scared Chuckie.

Rated G Grade A

Do you want to review a movie or video? Write up your answers to the above questions and send them to NBT Kid Reviews, POB 358, Deale MD 20751. Don't forget to include your name, age, address and telephone number!

MAZE CRAZE!

Here we find Running Wilbur, the boy who never stops running. He's been stuck in running in circles all day and the only way to stop him is to get him to the center of this one last circle. Please help. He's dizzy.

Kids'Calendar

Learn to Love Trees March 1, 3 & 5 (1-3pm)-Kids ages 8-9 learn to identify local trees & their role in our ecosystem. Discover what scientists are doing about forest loss & how you can help. Patuxent Research Refuge North Tract, Rt. 198 btwn. BW Pkwy. & Rt. 32. Free; rsvp: 410/674-3304.

Buds, Bark and Leaves Tues. March 2 (10-11am)-Kids ages 8+ investigate tree parts & learn how to tell trees apart. Patuxent Research Refuge North Tract, Rt. 198 btwn. BW Pkwy. & Rt. 32. Free; rsvp: 410/674-3304.

Preschool Storytime March 2 & 4 (10:30am)-Preschoolers join Carol Spaulding on March 2, reading Bird of Winter Stories. March 4 features Ms. Terry for stories by Margaret Wise Brown. Barnes & Noble, Annapolis Harbour Center: 410/573-1115.

Hike Woods Tues. March 2 (1-3pm)-Kids ages 9-14 embark on a nature walk in a Watkins Nature Center Home School Science workshop. 301 Watkins Park Dr., Upper Marlboro. $12; rsvp: 301/249-6202.

Look Under Water Wed. March 3 (10-11am)-Kids ages 3-5 discover life lurking under the sea in Watkins Nature Center's Small Fry workshop. 301 Watkins Park Dr., Upper Marlboro. $10; rsvp: 301/249-6202.

Tree Trivia Thurs. March 4 (10-11:30am)-Kids ages 6-8 learn about trees in Watkins Nature Center's Home School Science workshop. 301 Watkins Park Dr., Upper Marlboro. $12; rsvp: 301/249-6202.

Houdini Jr. Thurs. March 4 (4-5:30pm)-Kids ages 8-11 pick up cool magic tricks from magician Pat Nutter in a workshop of demos. Northeast Community Center, Chesapeake Beach. rsvp: 410/257-2554.

Get Printed Submit by March 5-Students in grades K-12 put pen to paper on the theme "Your World in the Year 2000" for Maryland Writers' Assn.'s new publication, Brain Storm: A Magazine of Young Writers. Try your hand at original fiction, poetry, short stories, plays and essays; if you win a spot you get the pride of seeing your words in print: 410/263-5038.