Chinese New Year Books

This book was published in Hong Kong. It lists Chinese costumes throughout her 5000 years of history. The book not only shows artifacts, paintings and ornaments about the Chinese costumes through out ages, it also has drawings of costume.

This is a must have title in your library.

There may be better histories of Chinese costume, and there may even be more comprehensive ones, but I know of no more through history of Chinese costume in English other than this book. It is also lucidly organized by period and features numerous illustrations, but of period artworks and color sketches of period costume designs. An absolute must for the English-speaking scholar who wishes to become conversant with the outlines of the history of Chinese costume.

An excellent, full color overview of Chinese robes from neolithic through modern times. Organized by dynasty, each chapter gives a few text pages covering basics in garment style, hairstyle and make up, and footwear for that dynasty. The full color plates are generally focused on court robes, but also include some armor, dance costumes and scholars robes. Most of the garments are rendered in a 2-dimensional layout, with either paintings or statuary from the period as primary documentation. I found the appendixes in the back to be most useful, showing the evolution of body and sleeve style through progressive dynasties. A few examples of accessories are shown. It is a good starting point for the study of the clothing of the nobility. It does not go in to much detail on the clothing of the common man until the modern era.

If you have only a few, treasured children's books on your shelf, My Chinatown should be one of them. Rarely does a picture book ever exceed the level of entertainment or visual treat and amusement to ascend to a realm where, well, you get tingles while experiencing it. And this book must be held in your hands and consumed. Each page is a frameable work of imaginative, breathtakingly beautiful art. Each poem is a vignette of life in Chinatown, complete with all the sensory details in a few lines. Like Matisse's few strokes that reveal a cat, Kam Mak's writing reveals entire scenes that come to life simply, remarkably. Even if I did not have a child, I would love to have this book on my coffee table. Reminiscent of Chris Van Allsburg (Polar Express, Jumaniji) where elegant, spare writing and outstanding art work combine to make magic. My Chinatown is miraculous.

'My Chinatown' is a beautiful book about a young boy who misses his old home in China and how he is slowly discovering his new neighborhood- Chinatown. The beautiful pictures in the book are bright and bold with simple prose to guide the reader on this young boys adventure. The book is broken down by seasons as the young boys describes the transformation his neighborhood takes during various times of the year. This is a beautiful book with brilliantly bright artwork and a wonderful gift for a child or adult.

"My Chinatown: One Year in Poems," by Kam Mak, is a truly beautiful blend of poetry and visual artwork. The simple, straightforward poems tell about life in Chinatown for a young boy whose family has emigrated from Hong Kong to the United States. The poems are accompanied by richly colored illustrations. A sample of the writing style: "If you have money in your pocket, / you're never hungry / in Chinatown."

The illustrations capture many memorable images: a bunch of colorful kumquats, a cobbler at work, colorful dragon boats, and more. This book is a wonderful celebration of the people, food, and cultural events of Chinatown.

I loved "One Hundred Poems from the Chinese" by Mr. Rexroth, and I thought then of course, I would want "More". And it is a very lovely collection of poems, tho I feel the stronger poems and poets were covered in the first book. The poems in "More" are very good, just not at the par of the first one.

Well, actually, this is CHINESE poetry. Really excellent translation. Rexroth was a great American poet, and ground breaker as a translator of both Chinese and Japanese poetry, and all his work is still worth reading.

Rexroth was first introduced to me by my high school teacher while we were studying Chinese literature. At first, I couldn't quite understand what was so great about Chinese poems, why Li Po and Tu Fu, and many others are so greatly admired. After this, I've come to a much better understanding of Chinese literature in general, and a much greater love for it. I recommend this book to anyone.

I absolutely love that this story is based upon a real Banyan "Wishing Tree" in a small village called Lam Tsuen in Hong Kong, and that there are other smaller ones among Hong Kong's countryside.

As if the story wasn't beautiful enough, the author took a lot of time explaining about wishing trees and how they are either banyan or camphor trees because these kinds of trees because they have aerial roots that curve & twist into unsual shapes that seem to look magical! She then goes on to tell her reader tells us that people come all though out the year to toss their wishes onto the wishing trees branches, but the majority of the people come during their Lunar New Year. She also speaks of the Ng Bo Dip which means "5 Treasures Piles" in Cantonese that the wishes are written. The brightly colored red & gold papers are then tied to a Mandarin Orange and thrown high into the branches of the wishing tree. I bet it's a beautiful sight! The author also includes a directions on how to make your very own Ng Bo Dip and also includes a black & white copy for the reader to photocopy, color and cut out!

A definate treasure to have in your home library!

The boy Ming is disappointed in the wishing tree introduced to him by his grandmother when the tree fails to give him his wish that his aged grandmother survive her illness. But after a time when he does not go to it anymore, he comes near it again when a group of friends invite him to go with them. In talking with his friends and a nearby vendor, Ming realizes that the tree granted his grandmother's greatest wish for him--that he be happy. The simple tale is based on a real tree in a village in Hong Kong. The author Thong with bright pictures by McLennan describe how the Chinese write their wishes on pieces of paper, and toss these into the branches of the tree. Following the tale, the author gives directions on how young readers can follow this practice for themselves with their own wishing tree.

Young readers ages 4-10 will find Wishing Tree by Roseanne Thong to be a deftly woven and lovely picturebook story set in modern Hong Kong and telling of a young boy and his grandmother who visit a rural temple's Wishing Tree every lunar New Year. Connie McLennan's realistic drawings enhances a story which tells how a wishing tree helps a youngster solve common problems in life.

This is a nonfiction book aimed at the preK-K level, and it contains just the right amount of information for kids aged 3-5. The illustrations are lovely and there is simple text on each page. I paired this book along with Dragon Dance (author: Holub) and D is for Dragon Dance (author: Compestine), which have more lyrical text, for a preschoolers' storytime about Chinese New Year.

I really like this series. Students can read these books on their own and get a lot out of them. They can also be easily read for a read aloud. They are fun and interesting!

The following serves as an amendment to the comment below:

Lunar New Year is a holiday celebrated by several countries, not just China. If you intend to teach this curriculum in your classroom, please understand that the following countries in Asia celebrate Lunar New Year: Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

you gotta get the book for you class our home if you are studying chinese new year!

I sent this book to my grand children to celebrate Chinese New Year. I haven't actually seen the book, but my family was delighted with it.

Written is a simple by elegant style by Oliver Chin and joyously illustrated in a cartoon style by Miah Alcore, "The Year Of The Pig: Tales From The Chinese Zodiac" is a 36-page picturebook compendium of stories featuring Patti the Pig and Farmer Wu. The adventures of this remarkable little pig are based upon the 5,000 year legacy of the Chinese Zodiac and translated into a contemporary farm setting and includes creatures taken from the Chinese lunar calendar. "The Year Of The Pig" is a lively entertainment for boys and girls. Also very highly recommended for school and community library picturebook collections from Immedium is "The Year Of The Dog", their first title in a series showcasing the charismatic animals of the Chinese New Year.

Jackie Robinson and the Year of the Boar is an OK book. It shows how life was for an immigrant in the 1940's. It also gives you a taste of how Jackie Robinson felt to cross the racial line.
He and Bandit, or Shirley Temple, had something in common. He held his head up high even when there were threats to take his life, and Shirley did the same, while facing the bullying of her school.
This book also showed, how even if you're mistreated in the beginning, you can still make friends in the end. Shirley made friends with Mable, while she was getting teased. She was also praised with the following chant:
"Hey, Hey you're just great,
Jackie Robinson crossed the plate,
Hey, Hey you're a dream,
Jackie Robinson's on our team."
This book didn't personally intrigue me, but it is perfect for kids who love baseball. Taylor grade 5

I would recommend this book for boys and girls of any age. I would recommend this book for girls, because the main character Shirley Temple Wong is a girl, and what she does the girls can mostly understand. I would recomend it for boys, because there is a lot of baseball involved, and the year of baseball is staring Jackie Robinson. The genre of the book is multi cultural. The theme is bravery, hope, and overcoming fears. The most important setting is Shirley's school. The conflict is Shirley does not speak a lot of English, and she does not have any friends. Some specific things about the book are Shirley learns to like baseball, and Jackie Robinson. Another one is Shirley learns to make friend's. I like the part when Shirley went to a new school, and the principal winked at Shirley with one eye, and Shirley did not know what he was doing so she blinked both eyes, and her teacher thought there was somthing wrong with her eyes. My least favorite part was when all the other kids did not like Shirley. They did not want to play with her at all. The author is Bette Bao Lord.

My daughter didn't really enjoy reading this book. She became bored with the issues and wanted more excitement and kindness.

I love this book. This book tells you how to overcome loneliness. Shirley found a way to make some good friends. I would have you read this book because it lets you learn what it would feel like to move from one place to another. It also tells you how different and unique other people can be. It's a really good book. (written by my sixth grade student, Ashley)

This was one of my favorite books as a kid. It's funny and heartwarming, and touches on Chinese culture and 1940's American culture, making it an all-around interesting read. Plus, Bandit is such a great character, you can't help loving her. This would be an excellent addition to any kid's collection.

we loaned this book from library, and it fascinated my 3 yr old. It's a typical Asian morality story, but with vivid characters and country theme illustrations. the rice cake recipe works really well.

This is a variant of the gingerbread man. It also has magic and a moral. My older daughter, 6 enjoyed this and took it to school.

First, let me say that we own many children's books that represent Chinese culture, particularly since my husband is Chinese. So, we try to be culturally sensitive to different views of what makes a happy ending. However, both my daughter and I found it disturbing that the adorable rice cake which had been anthropomorphized for several pages was eaten. My daughter and I discussed how the gingerbread gets eaten in some versions too, and that this reflects different views of storytelling. However, this did little to make her feel better for the cute eaten rice cake. She couldn't sleep--definitely not a bedtime story. Beware if you are used to sanitized fairy tales.

This book is an excellent addition to a library collection on China or on various types of New Year celebrations around the world. A recipe for both baked and steamed nian-gao is included at the end. In the reading aloud, this book has a subtle message about sharing and compassion although I think the text gets a little irritating when, over and over, "something incredible happened". Just as a description is not made more so by the endless use of "very", an event is not made more incredible when it is announced in advance that it will be incredible... and, in fact, it detracts a bit from the magic. I think the text could be a bit more sophisticated but, overall, this is still a wonderful story to share.

I teach 3rd-4th graders with learning disabilities who often also have short attention spans. This book held their interest until the very end. Our class made the recipe for rice cake that is provided in the book. We baked it while I read the story. It is a beautiful story with a nice moral about being unselfish. Illustrations are wonderful too. I loved it and so did the kids. I highly recommend.

When the Circus came to Town, January 3, 2008
By Lazy Panda "Panda" (CA USA) - See all my reviews

This story is about a young girl named Ursula that lives in a small town in china and she is an only child that had a dream to go to the circus. But then one day she caught a type of disease called smallpox that makes your face look scarry and would make you feel a little bit uncomfortable like going somewhere esle like the farmers market and people staring at you. Then one day while Ursula had this disease, one of her parent's Chinese cook,called Ah Sam wanted to help her also to cheer her up, so one day Ah Sam surprised Ursula by bringing a circus crew to her town but,their was one problem the circus came with nobody to play music for them so one of the people in the circus crew went to find someone to play music for them but they looked all over the town but couldn't find anyone to play music for them so they had an idea to ask Ursula and now she is the only one that can play the harmonica so then they asked her but now shes afraid to show her face so then she said maybe and then they gave her some time to think. Later thinked about it and said yes because she didn't care anymore about what people thought about her face.

This story has a very simple and interesting plot. Yep fictionalizes a true story about a little girl that catches small pox and becomes disfigured. Her parents hire a Chinese cook to help out at the stagecoach depot and he befriends Ursula. Together they find they share one thing in common, both are ridiculed for what they look like. Together they work out their problems and end up with most of the townfolks helping them. A circus put on by Ah Sam's cousins do wonders for everyone who comes. A very quick and entertaining read. Children ages 7 and up would enjoy this story.

When the Circus Came to Town is a quick, enjoyable read. The illustrations are well done and the setting of Whistle, Montana comes to life with Yep's vivid description of the people and the surrounding mountains. The story has two main characters. Ursula is a young girl who at the beginning of the story leads her friends in adventures and play. She calls herself "Pirate Ursula." Ah Sam is a Chinese immigrant who comes to help Ursula's parents as a cook for their restaurant and stage coach depot. Early on in the story Ursula becomes sick with the smallpox. Her face is disfigured, and she refused to leave her room. Her friends come to the window and beg for "Pirate Ursula" to come and play, but her fear of being stared at makes her stay inside. Ah Sam, who also endures taunts and stares for being Chinese and looking different, befriends Ursula and teaches her how to cook. As Ursula becomes more and more confident in the kitchen she begins to come out of her shell. During the course of the story Ursula and Ah Sam exchange gifts - the most elaborate gift comes from Ah Sam in the form of a Chinese Circus. To bring Ursula outside Ah Sam asks his cousins to come to Whistle to perform. The show is quite a hit, and the townspeople welcome the Chinese performers with open arms. When the weather turns bad the performers cannot leave in order to arrive in San Francisco for Chinese New Year. Ursula and the townspeople work together to put on a Chinese New Year in Whistle. When the Circus Came to Town is well written and the dialogue flows smoothly. Tom, the Native American stagecoach driver, is an interesting character. Yep wrote the story based on events that really happened.

When the Circus Came to Town is a great book with a lot of adventure. The book is about a girl that gets smallpox, and the smallpox left scares on her face, she thought that her skin would return to normal from the scares on her face. Ursula felt horrible that she caught smallpox and she stopped going to school for a long time. She never wanted to show her face to anyone but her parents. Every day her friends would drop off her homework but then one day her friends saw her face and they went all wide eyed . She felt bad and thought they were afraid of her. Eventually all things turn out better.

A book like this can not get much better than this so I think that people of all ages would like this book.

When the Circus Came to Town
By: Laurence Yep
...

The story is about a girl named Ursula who has always wanted to see a circus. That is, until she caught smallpox, which made small holes in her cheek. Now all she thinks about and wants is to hide her scarred face. All this changes when Ursula's parents hire a Chinese cook named Ah Sam. He brings to town a magical circus and finds a way to give Ursula the courage she needs to face the world. After the circus Ursula confidently goes outside knowing nobody will laugh at her anymore. She sees that Ah Sam is unhappy and asks why. He replies with the blizzard he won't be able to go to China to celebrate Chinese New Year. Ursula decides to repay Ah Sam for his kindness and creates the biggest, best Chinese New Year celebration that Whistle, Montana, has ever seen.

I have many reasons why I liked this book. One of the reasons I liked this book is because Ah Sam taught Ursula that it does not matter what you look like on the outside.The second reason I liked this book is because Ursula knew that Ah Sam helped her a lot by giving her the confidence to go outside so she repaid him by creating the Chinese New Year in Whistle, Montana. The third reason I like this book is because it teaches you that you shouldn't judge a person by their nationality because in the story Ursula thought all Chinese people were bad, but Ah Sam proved her wrong with his kindness.

The fourth reason I like this book is because Ursula got to experience a different culture or style of life. For example on Chinese New Year they had to cut a little bit of their hair, do Chinese dances, parade around in a dragon, light up fire crackers, and feast. The fifth reason I like this book is because I like circuses, which are amazing and have things like acrobats, jugglers, clowns, animals, and animal trainers. If I had to grade this book on a scale from 1 to 10 I would give this book a 10.

My favorite part of the book was when Ah Sam's cousins came to town to put on the circus. Their names were Ah Bing, Ah Loo, and Lung. On the day of the circus Ah Loo stuck a sword down her mouth and pulled it back out without cutting her insides. Then she spit fire out her mouth. Ah Bing pulled eggs out from behind people in the audience's ears. Ah Sam juggled balls, knives, a boot, a turnip, and a hat all at one time. For the grand finale Ah Bing, Ah Loo, and Lung began to turn into letters. All together they spelled out "Thank You, Ursula."