Chinese New Year Books

This remains one of the best books available for classroom reading for Chinese New Year. However, it is great for pre-K or K, but too easy for 1st and 2nd grade, since kids nowadays are more sophisticated and know all about dragon dance by then (at least they think they do).

I used this book for a Chinese New Year presentation in my daughter's class. The children really enjoyed the story about the Chinese New Year, and also the full picture of the dragon.

My son is in love with Dragons and this story is a great book to help educate him about the role Dragon's play in the Chinese culture. The way the book is designed is a wonderful surprise.

Perfect book for preschool-kindergarten. I love how the book pages unfold to reveal a long long parade dragon! Read it to my son's preschool and they really enjoyed it.

This book is beautifully illustrated, informative, and entertaining as it unfolds.... literally unfolds.... into a giant dragon like the ones that dance in the festival. My students were amazed and enchanted!

This is a cute, easy to read book that discusses the basic elements of Chinese New Year.

This is a simply written and beautifully illustrated book about the Chinese New Year. Through delicate line drawings and jewel like colors the author/illustrator captures the essence of Chinese mythical creatures, flora, fauna, heavenly creatures and mortals. We learn about Chinese zodiac symbols, gods, how Chinese people prepare for the New Year, why they eat special kinds of foods on New Year's Day, the symbolism of specific flowers as gifts, and the meanings of Chinese characters hung on doorways. Demi is the talented author and illustrator of many children's books with Chinese themes. This book is definitely one of my favorites.

Need an excuse to explore ethnic and religious holidays and practices? This is your vehicle. The interesting and exciting practices surrounding Chinese New Year can so easily be compared in writing, drama and story-telling of many other cultures. You cannot go wrong with this book.

I haven't found a book by Demi that isn't terrific. This is a great book for young children, it gives lots of great information on the Chinese New Year and what one does to get ready for the New Year celebration! A must have for anyone with an who wants their child to know about their hertitage!

This is a nice introduction to chinese new year. I will use it as a informational guide and have my Chinese-Vietnamese students look it over to facilitate a discussion about their new year. Thanks.

My son (2yrs) got this book and loves it so much!
the colors and real life action!!

he loves to watch kids do karate!
i recommend highly!

This is a great non-fiction about Chinese New Year, for ages 4-12! The text is simple enough for younger children and detailed enough to really be informative for older children. Following a young child through his preparations for the celebration immediately brings young readers (and listeners)into the story. Vivid photographs of familiar and novel scenes help children to relate to Ernie Wan while learning about a significant aspect of his culture. Rather than lecturing the reader, this book invites the reader to share in one boy's celebration of the Chinese New Year while teaching about the holiday at the same time. This book has been well-loved by my children (now ages 8, 10, 12) for many years. We are now on our second copy of the book! It comes out every Chinese New Year, and even some other times through out the year. My children often ask to take this book to school to share at Chinese New Year. (Bonus: inside the back cover is an explanation of the Chinese zodiac with years and personality traits.)

Follow Ernie Wan and his family throughout a traditional Chinese (Cantonese) New Year Celebration! Colorful photos and detailed text provide good insight to a fascinating and beautiful culture! Photos of New York's Chinatown and Chinese schools are accompanied by cultural facts. From kung fu school to New Year traditions, this book is more than I expected. The Lion Dance is covered very well, but is certainly not the sole topic of this outstanding book! Ages 4 and up.

For my preschool class, I am pairing this book with an 11' long paper dragon and a stuffed dragon puppet. The children will be making paper lanterns and sampling various Chinese foods. They should really enjoy the unit on Chinese New Year!

Gung-Hey-Fat-Choy! Happy New Year!

If you have small children,their first encounter with the lion can be the stuff bad dreams are made of. Our 16-month-old son was both frightened and intrigued by the lion that came to the Chinese restaurant where our friends' son was enjoying his first birthday. The book follows Ernie Wan through his preparation to his first lion dance one Chinese New Year's day in New York's Chinatown. You see the customs and rituals that lead up to his debut. More important, you see the closeness of his family and the value of rites of passage in gathering people together. My family is not Chinese but my wife and I have immigrant parents. If you are trying to demonstrate why maintaining your cultural heritage is worthwhile, Lion Dancer will support your cause. My son literally drools on the pictures of the Chinese dishes and the kung-fu kicks of the lions amid the firecracker smoke. If I have a single criticism, it's that the pages of this paperback will fall out after repeated reading. And if I'm entitled to menion one mature indulgence, the book includes a section describing the personalities of the various animals in the Chinese lunar year. You might agree that the year you were born is more telling than the month.

I thought the book was very interesting with wonderful pictures
for children to look at. Despite being written for children to enjoy, it gave some insight to anyone, curious about this aspect of Chinese culture.

My daughter just received this book as a gift for her 3rd birthday. She loves the book. My husband and I also enjoy the book.

A good book to add to your 'international' book collection.

D Is For Dragon Dance is an alphabet picturebook about the theme of Chinese New Year's festivities, from the importance of connecting with family ("G is for Grandma and Grandpa") to New Year's customs ("O is for Oranges" - they are given as a sign of good fortune) to protections against evil spirits ("X is for Xylograph", a wood carving on the door meant to keep evil spirits out). Full-color illustrations by Yongsheng Xuan blend a feel for traditional Chinese art with vibrancy and energy bursting off of the page. A fun way for young readers to learn about Chinese culture and their ABC's at the same time.

From Acrobats to Zodiac, this is a book that uses the alphabet to introduce many different aspects of Chinese New Year to preK-K-aged kids (though my 8-year-old liked this one, too). Instructional for adults is the last page which contains notes from the author, such as "tips to ensure good fortune in the New Year," information about the Chinese characters that appear in the book, and a recipe for dumplings. A fun read!

D is for Dragon Dance is an absolutley beautiful book that has information on the Chinese New Year done so in an A to Z fashion.

Each page is a work of art because if you look at it you will notice that underneath each drawing is Chinese Characters, some represent a single word and others a saying. The characters where done in 4 different calligraphy styles 3 from the dynasty they where from and 1 in the cursive or grass style. On the last page of the book in the author's note, under the artist note you will see the word Dragon and how it looks in each of the 4 styles. With the characters underneath each painting, it give each page a textured look that makes fools your eyes and makes your hands go to feel each page, only to be disappointed that it feels paper smooth and not textured as you see. I love the way the artist draws, his children are beautiful!

Here is the break down of what each letter stands for.
A - Acrobats
B - Balls (shows a acrobat in a 2 person Fu dog / lion dancers balanced on a ball)
C - Calligraphy
D - Dragon Dance
E _ Evil Spirits
F - Firecrackers
G - Grandma & Grandpa
H - Haircut ( the author probablty didn't have the space to mention it, but one should only get their hair cut before the New Year and not during the New Year Celebrations because you'll be cutting off all of your good luck)
I - Incense
J - Jade
K - Kites
L - Lanterns
M - Moon
N - Noodles
O - Oranges
P - Peking Duck
Q - Quiz
R - Red Envelopes
S - Steamed Dumplings ( Yum!!)
T - Tradition
U - Unity
V - Veneration
W - Wish
X - Xylograph
Y - Yo - Yos
Z - Zodiac ( 12 year cycle) This one starts in the year 1981 the year od the rooster and ends in 2016 in the year of the monkey.

On the last page is both the author's and artists notes on the book as well as a receipe for New Year's Dumplings Delight and Soy-Garlic Dipping Sauce, which I can't wait to try.

It's a given that we can learn a great deal from other cultures, other customs, and there's not a better time to start than when we're young. "D Is For Dragon Dance" is both entertaining and educational as it tells about the Chinese New Year with all its color and unique traditions (my favorite is how youngsters greet the New Year by honoring their parents!)

An alphabet book, it begins with "A is for Acrobats," takes us through to K and L for Kites and Lanterns, then concludes with "Z is for Zodiac," explaining that the Chinese calendar is a 12 year cycle with each year represented by a different animal.

Yongsheng Xuan has created boldly colored full page illustrations in watercolor, acrylic and latex. They're all eye-poppers.

Also included is an author's note with tips to ensure good fortune in the New Year (clean the house before the New Year starts and light firecrackers to scare off evil spirits, etc.) Plus, there's a recipe for dumplings called "New Year's Dumpling Delight."

"D is for Dragon Dance" is a sure kid pleaser bound to elicit lots of interesting dinner table conversations.

- Gail Cooke

This is a book that might cause you to just stare and admire the pictures until your kid grows impatient as to whether or not you're really going to tell the story.

The Chinese New Year, according to the lunar calendar. Around the world, Chinese families are united by this one celebration which brings back families and unites the community. It is a 15-day occasion set aside for family and bliss.

The traditional Chinese life is one of symbolism, gestures, word-play, proverbs and reverence. During Chinese New Year, these elements come to the forefront in full force that might seem like a hopeless mesh of confusion for the uninitiated but a meaningful and articulate celebration of ushering in the New Year as is practiced by generations past thousands of years ago.

During this special time, special dresses are worn, special foods are eaten, special greetings are exchanged, the adults are especially nice and the children especially happy.
I remember as a child, I would usually go with the flow and be fascinated by the various traditions observed by the adults, with a thousand questions flowing through my head at any one time. Why are tangerines and pomelos exchanged and eaten during Chinese New Year? Why are the sweet goodies on the table called the Tray of Happiness and can only be eaten during Chinese New Year? Why does my grandma cook the New Year chicken in such an unusual way?

Children are always fascinated by loud noise and sparks. What's behind the booming sound of those long, winding Chinese New Year firecrackers? What underlies the massive lion and dragon dances?

From the noisy crackers to the fine art of Chinese calligraphy and brush painting, Hiss! Pop! Boom! Celebrating Chinese New Year introduces to young readers the elaborate celebration and highlights an age-old heritage of the Chinese people with a treasure cove of beautiful illustrations and an elegantly simple narrative.

I love the writing in this great book. The author really knows how to tell a story so it will be interesting for children and adults.

The artist is actually my grandfather, so naturally, I love the book. This was a really good book, though, even if he wasn't my gong-gong, i still would have loved this book. I actually try pretty hard to find some books on asian culture, and I really liked this one. The illistrations (might i say) were beautiful. Anyway, I loved this book!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am really impressed with this book. It is written so everyone can understand the Chinese New Year / Spring Festival. The book is sepperated into the following A New Year's Legend, New Year's Traditions, Flowers and Plants, Eating together, Lion dance, Firecrackers, Fruit, Tray of Happiness, Red Envelopes, Parades, Lantern Festival which is very fitting because the Lantern Festival is the last day of the 15 day celebation. The book also includes an explaination of Chinese Calligraphy. The brush painintg pictures are beautiful and really add a lot to the book. A terrific book explaining the Chinese New Year and if you are going to own 1 book, this is the book for you!

This book is one of my all time favorites, even if it isn't a fantasy. Three days before chinese new year, I brought it to class and shared a little about it. All my friends think it's awesome, especially the drawings. A lot of my friends are asian, but have seen very little actual Chinese brush art/ calligraphy.

I cry almost every time I read this book to my 5 1/2 year-old daughter, who is from Hunan. She doesn't...but I do...and we've been reading it for over a year now. I'm hoping she learns compassion and generosity from the story, which it teaches so beautifully in both words and rich illustrations.

Everyone loves this book; mothers, teachers and of course, children. Many books about Chinese New Year are non-fiction books that describe the customs of the holiday. What makes this different is that this is a piece of fiction that gives you all the flavors of what it's like in an urban Chinatown during Chinese New Years while at the same time sending a wonderful message of giving. My 3 and 5 year old love this book. My 5 year old's kindergarten teacher loved the book for the same reasons plus it fostered discusssions about the story and the holiday. A class of 18 children sat quietly; listening attentively. The children found the illustrations fascinating. The teacher even loaned our book to another kindergarten teacher. I'm online because I'm getting them their own copy.

Read for a pre-k school Chinese New Year celebration and for a kindergarten celebration and all children were very attentive and interested in the story. Also has a good moral message to about giving.

Great for pre-schoolers to learn about giving and introduce them to Chinese New Year Celebration. Read the book to 3 year olds at a pre-school. Everyone was very attentive. Kids got the message, learnd about giving and appreciation, as well as were introduced to Asian culture. Recommend to ages 3-7.

my three year old loves this and I do too! it is a great book to share at Xmas as well. The pictures are wonderful and we are giving it to nursery school as part of Chinese New Year celebration.

This book is best for children with 2nd grade or above reading skills, in my opinion. The photographs are wonderful and the information provided is very detailed and helpful for gaining knowledge of this cultural event. A wonderful book!

This is an excellent book for children of all racial descents.
My granddaughter is part-Chinese and while we live in Hawaii rather than in San Francisco where the story takes place, we still follow many of the customs shown in the book. It's important for our children to learn about their cultures and traditions passed down through generations.

This has got to be my favorite books about the Chinese New Year! The book follows a young boy and his family as their prepare for the Chinese New Year. There is so much terrific information, it's simply amazing that the author was able to do this! The photographs are absolutely stunning! A must have book!

I purchased this book when my son's first grade teacher asked me to come and and talk to the class about the Chinese New Year. This book was perfect first of all because of its bright and bold color photos. By following a young Chinese boy living in San Francisco's Chinatown you learn how a typical contemporary Chinese family prepares for and celebrates the Chinese New Year. The topics include the special Chinese foods eaten on this day and their symbolism, paying respect to ancestors, Chinese calligraphic decorations, animals of the Chinese zodiac, and of course the lion dance and New Year parade. Children will be especially fascinated by all the splendid and exotic foods listed in the family's New Year's menu. This is a wonderful book to introduce children and adults alike to the traditions and customs of the Chinese New Year.

This activity book has many fun kids activities from simple coloring to making lanterns for bigger kids. It also has dates on when each zodiac sign falls under which makes it fun for adults as well. I used it at my son's school and the kids had fun with the activities and learning about the Chinese New Year

"Celebrating Chinese New Year: An Activity Book" is an engaging tool for introducing a lively yet generally unfamiliar cultural event to children. Clear, child-oriented information about Chinese New Year customs is interspersed with charming hands-on projects, from paper plate pandas to candy containers. Straightforward graphics and text richly convey that a spirit of family closeness and a respect for tradition mark this holiday. Through a range of activities, from simple to sophisticated, a poignant awareness of an earlier time and way of thought is also transmitted. An excellent resource for schools and groups that want to foster cultural understanding!

I found this colorful book to be informative, engaging, and easy-to-use. The author's overview of Chinese New Year provides a good background for her description of significant Lunar New Year traditions. These customs include special food, lucky money, scrolls, candy, lanterns, and dragons. There is a nice presentation of the zodiac animals and chart of corresponding birthdate years. The author provides easy-to-follow instructions and simple templates to carry out the wide selection of craft projects and activities. I would highly recommend this book to elementary school teachers and families with elementary school age kids in helping to understand and celebrate Chinese New Year.

This book offers fun, cute and easy to reproduce crafts to supplement Chinese New Year events for the classroom or any other setting with young children. I especially appreciate the author's narrative on explaining the traditions and rituals associated with this annual holiday that is celebrated world-wide. We couldn't wait for the next Chinese New Year (Year of the Rooster -2005) so, my kids and I tried making the hexagonal candy boxes. The instructions are clearly written making it easy for both a seven y.o. and ten y.o to follow independently. My kids are now using their crafty boxes with lids to hold little items on their desks. "Celebrating Chinese New Year: An Activity Book" is a wonderful addition to any classroom, library, and Asian or multi-cultural book collection. I highly recommend for teachers/educators and parents.

I read this beautifully illustrated book to my class of 25 preschoolers on Chinese New Year's day. They loved it! They could so identify with the young boy and his quest for good luck. One student exclaimed at the end of the book..."that's it, I'm going right home to clean my closet!" I overheard several children saying that their palms were itching. I have a very diverse group of children this year, from many countries, so this book really spoke to them.I highly reccommend it!

My 4-yr-old son has three shelves of children's books in his closet, and out of all them this is my favorite. The beautiful flow of the text makes it a joy to read every time!

I sent this to my grandson who is now living in Hong Kong and he loves it so much he sleeps with it. He is almost 3 and insists on having this read to him every night. I think it makes him feel more at home in this new place by incorporating the Chinese traditions that he experienced for the first time this year. Although I haven't read it, I can only comment on it from a child's point of view, and that should be a good barometer for other children.

A great and interesting book for children age 3-7. Kids love it. Teaches children about different traditions, good habbits. Especially good for introducing your little ones to Asian culture.

The Year of the Dog: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac is a great book! Oliver Chin's tale of a brave little dog looking for a chance to prove himself is clever and inspiring. My kids, aged 7, 9 and 11 all enjoy the book and read it all the time. Miah Alcorn's illustrations are colorful, lively and full of expression. Yet another great book in the Chinese Zodiac series. I just ordered Year of the Pig and the new Year of the Rat. I highly recommend this book!

The Year Of The Dog: Tales From The Chinese Zodiac is a picturebook about a puppy born on New Years' Day, who explores his surroundings with the companionship of Lin, the little girl next door. A whimsical tale of confusion and adventure, as Lin and the puppy meet the other animals of the Chinese zodiac, some in their imagination, and some in real life - and the Tiger in particular is a very dangerous animal to meet! The cartoony and angular art style captures the eagerness of the young dog perfectly, in this upbeat astrological tale.

My three-year old son loves this book. It's exciting and colorful, and it manages to sneak some Chinese culture in without seeming "educational." We can't wait until Year of the Pig!