Chinese New Year: Books For Kids
Whether or not you culturally celebrate Chinese New Year, reading children’s books about Chinese New Year can open your children’s eyes (and yours!) to the amazing culture and traditions that are a part of this holiday that is so special to so many. In fact, as you learn more, you may just feel inspired to celebrate (even a little) in your own home this year, whether that be with the food (dumplings, noodles and rice cakes! oh my!), red envelopes filled with money, or giving everything a good new year’s cleaning. In preparation for Chinese New Year this year, we’ve been reading a lot of books about Chinese New Year, and these are some of our favorites—we hope you enjoy the stories as well as the education!
The Runaway Rice Cake - The Book Snob Mom -
This is a bit on the long side, but it's a beautiful story about being generous, even when you have almost nothing left to give. While the rewards of generosity may not always come as swiftly as they did to the Chang family, the conclusion of the story with the young boys being rewarded from learning from their parents' and neighbors' generosity is delightful aThe Great Race - B is for Bookworm -
This book tells a great story about why the Chinese calendar year is named after certain animals, and the reason for the order it's in. I thought it was fun, creative, and it's full of colorful illustrations. There's also an explanation at the back of some of the main holidays on the calendar.Popo's Lucky Chinese New Year - B is for Bookworm -
This book has some fun humor in it and shows the Chinese New Year through the eyes of a young child. It does a good job of introducing some of the traditions and meanings behind the holiday.My First Chinese New Year - The Book Snob Mom -
A cute and simple introduction to Chinese New Year preparations and customs in a way that's very accessible and straightforward!
Lucky New Year! - Come celebrate the Chinese New Year with its magical traditions— from giving gifts to watching parades! Children will love to scratch and sniff the sweet oranges, turn the wheel to find their Chinese animal year, lift the flap to find the lucky money, and watch the big dragon pop up to wish them a year filled with wisdom, wealth, and happiness. Happy Chinese New Year!
Lunar New Year - Learn all about the traditions of Lunar New Year—also known as Chinese New Year—with this fourth board book in the Celebrate the World series, which highlights special occasions and holidays across the globe. After the winter solstice each year, it’s time for a celebration with many names: Chinese New Year, Spring Festival, and Lunar New Year! With beautiful artwork by Chinese illustrator Alina Chau, this festive board book teaches readers that Lunar New Year invites us to spend time with family and friends, to light lanterns, and set off fireworks, dance with dragons, and to live the new year in harmony and happiness.
The Runaway Wok - On Chinese New Year’s Eve, a poor man who works for the richest businessman in Beijing sends his son to market to trade their last few eggs for a bag of rice, but instead he brings home an empty -but magic- wok that changes their fortunes forever.
A New Year's Reunion - Maomao s dad works many miles away, but he is coming home for New Year!Little Maomao s father works in faraway places and comes home just once a year, for Chinese New Year. At first Maomao barely recognizes him, but before long the family is happily making sticky rice balls, listening to firecrackers, and watching the dragon dance in the streets below. Papa gets a haircut, makes repairs to the house, and hides a lucky coin for Maomao to find. Which she does! But all too soon it is time for Papa to go away again. This poignant, vibrantly illustrated tale, which won the prestigious Feng Zikai Chinese Children s Picture Book Award in 2009, is sure to resonate with every child who misses relatives when they are away and shows how a family s love is strong enough to endure over time and distance.
D is for Dragon Dance - A bilingual introduction to the Chinese New Year in English and Chinese. From the dazzling dragon dance to the scrumptious steamed dumplings to the firecrackers that frighten away evil spirits, this alphabet book celebrates the traditions of the lunar new year. First published in 2006, this new rendition presents the English text alongside the Chinese.
The Great Race - Celebrate Chinese New Year and learn how every animal earned its place in the Chinese zodiac by taking part in the Great Race! Discover who will come first to win the ultimate prize, and find out why Cat will never forgive his friend Rat in this ancient folk tale that has been passed from generation to generation. Praise for Deep in the Woods, the previous title from Christopher Corr: ‘… the book looks like a delectable candy box… There is a lesson here — about friendship, and sharing — but the book never feels plodding or pedantic… Which may be why the lesson just goes down like the truth.’
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