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Five Faves: Lunar New Year

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All my kiddos have participated in the Chinese immersion programs at their respective schools.  The first year my oldest son came home from school and told me about celebrating Lunar New Year with his first grade class, we were all hooked.  We've had so much fun as a family learning more about this amazing holiday and celebrating together.  The following books illustrate the joy and excitement of this special holiday, so read on! 

Let's Celebrate Korean New Year!
Written by Michelle W. Park
Illustrated by Hyewon Yum
New York : Random House Children's Books, 2024. Picture book.

Madeleine is so excited to celebrate Lunar New Year and explain all the preparations and traditions to her sister, Eloise.  From wearing the traditional hanbok, to special foods and games, Madeleine explains why Lunar New Year is such a special and important family holiday. A glossary, activity idea, and traditional holiday recipe are found at the end of the book.  

Ping's Perfect Pot
Written by Helen H. Wu
Illustrated by Zihua Yang
Minneapolis, MN : Beaming Books, 2025. Picture book.

When Grandpa picks up a tangerine tree for Lunar New Year, Ping is determined to make the perfect pot for it to live in. With each unsatisfactory attempt, however, Ping gets more and more discouraged.  With Grandpa's loving encouragment, Ping finally realizes the beauty in imperfection and creates a final display for the celebration that includes all her attempted pots. 

Sparkles for Sunny : A Lunar New Year Story
Written by Sylvia Chen
Illustrated by Thai My Phuong
New York, New York : Flamingo Books, 2025. Picture book. 

Every Lunar New Year, Sunny ends up wearing hand-me-downs to the family party.  Just once, she wants something special to wear that was meant just for her, but her family has four rules, all of which highlight the importance of being frugal and not wasting anything.  Can Sunny follow the family rules and still make her Lunar New Year wish come true?  

We always had Wings
By Jess X. Snow
New York : Make Me A World, 2025. Picture book.

When Little Snow embarks on her first trip to her mama's hometown in China to celebrate Lunar New Year, she's worried. The trip is so long, and her mama's small countryside town is so different from the big, busy city that Little Snow lives in.  Little Snow's worries start to fade, however, when Mama shares the story of how their ancestors used to travel as beautiful cranes, and Little Snow is filled with excitement to reconnect with family during a special holiday. 

Welcoming the Lunar New Year
Written by Lara Lee
Illustrated by Natelle Quek
Candlewick Press, 2026. Picture book.

When Ren and his family are preparing for their Lunar New Year celebrations, Ren accidentally ruins the costume his mother was going to wear in the holiday parade.  Luckily, Ren's wonderful neighbors step in to help and also teach Ren about their Lunar New Year traditions from around the world. Ren and his community find even more joy in the holiday celebration as they combine traditions and celebrate together.  




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