Chinese New Year, 2002
The following reviews were presented in our 2002 Chinese New Year feature.
Reviews
The Case of the Goblin Pearls: Chinatown Mystery #1
Laurence Yep
Young Lily is excited when her famous movie-star aunt comes to San Francisco to arrange a float for the annual New Year's parade. Famous for a series of movies she made about detective, Tiger Lil, Lily's aunt is trying to finance a comeback. In the midst of their preparations, a gang of hoodlums terrorizes the community, climaxing in the dramatic theft of the famous Goblin Pearls from Auntie Tiger Lil's float. Lily and her aunt team up to try to solve the crime, and at the same time, they become involved in the lives of some poor Chinese immigrants. The tale captures the reader from the first page; not only is it full of suspense and humor, but it also deals with the serious issues of sweatshops and aging. If this delightful mystery is any indication of the potential of this series, I can't wait to read more. 1997, HarperCollins, Ages 10 up, $14.95. Reviewer: Rebecca Joseph
ISBN: 0-06-024444-5
Celebrating Chinese New Year
Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
Photographs by Lawrence Migdale
Gung hay fat choy! The traditional New Year's greeting, which means "may you prosper", is just one of the many interesting facts found in this beautifully illustrated, well-researched hardcover book. Set in contemporary San Francisco, the story shows how ten-year-old Ryan Leong and his Chinese-American family prepare for their celebration. The holiday lasts two weeks, so there is much to do. Ryan helps his mother shop for special ingredients like shark's fin, and helps his father cook special foods that will bring everyone good luck. He writes New Year's messages in Chinese on bright red paper to decorate the walls at home. His holiday includes ceremonies to honor ancestors, red envelopes full of lucky money, dazzling parades with Lion Dancers and much more. Spectacular full-color photos and lively text give young readers a great introduction to Chinese traditions and culture. 1998, Holiday House, Ages 4 to 10, $16.95. Reviewer: Dianne Ochiltree
ISBN: 0-8234-1393-4
China
Colin Cheong
The Chinese New Year and other special occasions such as the Dragonboat Festival and Qing Ming (Pure Brightness Festival) are explained in this book and illustrated with colorful photographs capturing the holiday spirit. Included are directions for making a dragon kite and the recipe for Tang Yuan, a sweet enjoyed at the Winter Solstice. Part of the "Festivals of the World" series.
1997, Gareth Stevens, Ages 7 to 11, $18.60. Reviewer: Carolyn Mott Ford
ISBN: 0-8368-1681-1
Chinatown
William Low
Written in the first person, a young Chinese-American boy takes us on a tour of Chinatown, where he lives with his parents and grandma. Through the simple, natural text and bright oil paintings, we accompany the boy and his grandma on their daily walk through Chinatown as they visit the street cobbler, herb shop, seafood restaurant, and outdoor market. Chinese New Year celebrations are described at the end of the book. This would be a good multicultural book for a very young audience. 1997, Holt, Ages 3 to 7, $15.95. Reviewer: Gisela Jernigan
ISBN: 0-8050-4214-8
Chinese New Year
Lola M. Schaefer
One way to understand a different culture is to learn about its holidays. A straightforward text and plenty of full-color pictures describe and illustrate Chinese New Year and how it is celebrated. Kids learn that not everyone uses the same calendar. The Chinese New Year celebration marks the season for planting and a time to sweep out the old and bring in the new. People celebrate with parades, fireworks and special foods, and kids usually receive money for good luck. The closing pages contain a short glossary, a few books and Internet sites and a word list/index. 2001, Pebble Books, Ages 4 to 7, $13.25. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 0-7368-0660-1
Dragon Feet
Marjorie Jackson
Pictures by Mark Mitchell
Come celebrate Chinese New Year with Yi-Yen and her brother Chen. The very simple text describes some of the holiday traditions including the gift of new money and the wonderful parade of the Good Luck Dragon. The watercolor illustrations show a happy family and the bustle of activity in Chinatown. An endnote gives a few facts about this 5000-year-old holiday. 1996, Richard C Owen, Ages 4 to 7, $3.00. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 1-57274-018-3
The Dragon New Year
David Bouchard
Paintings by Zhong-Yang Huang
On Chinese New Year's eve a little girl can't sleep because of all the noise from the fireworks. Her grandmother tries comforting her by telling her the story of how the dragon became a central figure in Chinese culture. Many years ago in China, a dragon would rise from the sea once a year to come ashore to eat. The people who lived near the sea would escape inland to avoid the dragon. An old woman whose fisherman son had been devoured by the dragon decides not to leave for safety as she feels she has nothing else to live for. Just before the dragon comes ashore, the Buddha himself implores the old woman to join him in challenging the dragon. While the old woman prepares a meal, the Buddha builds a bonfire. When the dragon arrives, the flames from the bonfire appear in an image of the old woman's son. He fights the dragon and wins, banishing him forever. The Buddha praises the old woman's kindness and courage in helping to make China safe from the dragon. The young girl falls asleep amid all the noise. The wonderful paintings of Chinese life, both old and new, add mystery to this tale of love and courage. The vocabulary is sometimes challenging, and may need some explanation to the intended audience. 1999, Peachtree Publishers, Ages 7 to 10, $16.95. Reviewer: Meredith Kiger
ISBN: 1-56145-210-6
Dumpling Soup
Jama K. Rattigan
Illustrated by Lillian Hsu-Flanders
There's rollicking adventure here at a big family reunion when celebration and circumstance collide. A young Hawaiian girl learns to appreciate the ethnic differences at her family's New Year's celebration. 1993, Little Brown, Ages 5 to 8, $15.95 and $5.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
Seven-year-old Marisa's aunties are experts at making dumplings, but grandma is the master who guides their progress. Her aunties' dumplings are wrapped with style, but Marisa's are lumpy. Will anyone eat them? Grandma assures her that dumplings are like her family, a spicy blending of ingredients, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, and haole [Hawaiian for white people]. Their wrappings may be different but inside they are rich, loving, and very tasty. The pictures depict the island setting with its lush flowers and plants. Since it is New Years, the air is filled with the crackling of firecrackers. 1993, Little Brown, Ages 5 to 8, $15.95 and $5.95. Reviewer: Jan Lieberman
ISBN: 0-316-73445-4
ISBN: 0-316-73047-5
Kids' Holiday Fun: Great Family Activities Every Month of the Year
Penny Warner
Who would have thought to make personalized Passover place cards out of homemade matzo? Ever wonder where to get a recipe for "Dracula's blood" on Halloween? Do you ever scratch your head wondering how to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Juneteenth, or Columbus Day? The Kids' Holiday Fun book answers these questions and more. Instructions on celebrating over 30 holidays including all the standard ones plus Bastille Day, Chinese New Year, and Earth Day (to name a few). Listed in chronological order, Penny Warner describes each holiday for us, then provides celebration ideas from decorations to songs to recipes. Her activities go from easy to challenging, but her style is constantly warm and encouraging. A great book to add to your bookshelves. 1994, Meadowbrook Press, Ages All, $12.00. Reviewer: Dia L. Michels
ISBN: 0-671-89981-3
ISBN: 0-88166-214-3
New Year's Day
Dana Meachen Rau
The history and traditions of this worldwide holiday are explained and depicted. The illustrations are an interesting combination of historic paintings and artifacts and contemporary photographs. Even though Pope Gregory XIII fixed the calendar in 1582 and declared that January 1 was New Year's Day not everyone agreed. England and its colonies waited nearly 200 years before making the change. Some cultures such as the Jews, Muslims, Chinese and some people of India celebrate on a different date. Certain symbols such as the New Year baby can trace their roots back to ancient times. More contemporary activities in the US include watching the ball drop in Times Square, tuning in to the Tournament of Roses parade and watching the Rose Bowl football game. There is a nice spread showing highlights of The Year 200 celebrations around the world. The closing pages list additional books, organizations and Internet sites, mini glossary, index and brief bio about the author. 2000, Grolier, Ages 7 to 10, $22.00. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 0-516-21516-7
The Runaway Rice Cake
Ying Chang Compestine
Pictures by Tungwai Chau
Generosity and kindness are rewarded in this engaging Chinese tale. It is Chinese New Year's Eve and the poor Chang family only has enough rice flour to make one nián-gão, a New Year's rice cake. The three brothers' stomachs are rumbling and the sent of the cooking rice cake is truly tantalizing. When Momma takes it out of the steamer, the rice cake takes on a life of its own and speedily races away. With the family in pursuit, the rice cake evades the vegetable seller, fisherman and even the lion dancers, but then it bumps into an old woman. Respectful of their elders, the family offers part of their rice cake to the hungry woman. She ends up eating it all. Like all good fairy tales when the family returns home, their neighbors have brought a little food to share and magically the dishes begin to overflow and the Chang's table becomes a banquet for all. The children even receive new red silk outfits to bring them good fortune in the upcoming year. The illustrations in pastels have enough detail to set the tone and to capture the dismay and final joy of the children and their parents. A good choice to introduce Chinese New Year and the tail end of this Year of the Golden Dragon. 2001, Simon & Schuster, Ages 5 to 8, $16.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 0-689-82972-8
Sam and the Luck Money
Karen Chinn
Illustrations by Cornelius Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu
Sam has received "lucky money" to spend for Chinese New Year. On his trip to Chinatown he sees a colorful dragon weaving through the streets. As fire crackers burst in the air he hears the pounding of drums and the clashing of cymbals creating a festive mood throughout Chinatown. In a variety of shops he spies many items that he wishes to purchase. But his encounter with a homeless man helps him to decide what to do with his money. The narrative, the sounds and the vivid visuals add a nice quality to the story. A study guide is also included that can be used by parents and teachers as a basis for discussion and activities on decision making and Chinese customs and celebrations. 1999, Weston Woods Videos, Ages 4 to 8, $60.00. Reviewer: Leila Toledo
ISBN: 0-78820-711-3
Every year, Sam's grandparents celebrate the Chinese New Year by giving him "lucky money": brand new dollar bills, each inside a special red envelope called a leisee. This year he got four dollars, and he can spend it any way he wants. So Sam and his mother go to Chinatown, a place so crowded with New Year's shoppers that Sam accidentally steps on a homeless man, barefoot and dirty. It doesn't take long for Sam to discover that four dollars won't go as far as he'd like-not even close to enough for the basketball he's got his eye on. On the way back home a frustrated and pouting Sam again meets the homeless man. And he realizes that to this dirty, barefoot human being four dollars is a fortune. This book's beautiful watercolor illustrations mesh perfectly with the text to capture the color, bustle, and excitement of Chinatown at New Year's. Overall, Sam and the Lucky Money is a wonderfully subtle story about the importance of money and the rewards of giving charity. 1995, Lee & Low, Ages 5 to 7, $14.95. Reviewer: Armin A. Brott
ISBN: 1-880000-13-X
Silk Peony, Parade Dragon
Elizabeth Steckman
Illustrations by Carol Inouye
Mrs. Ming owns a dragon farm, and the dragon, Silk Peony, is her pride and joy. But negotiating a fair rental price for Silk Peony to march in the New Year's Day parade turns out to be quite a task. First the mandarin is rude, then he bargains mercilessly, and finally he won't cough up! In the end, happily, Mrs. Ming gets her way in this original fable. 1997, Caroline House/Boyds Mills Press, Ages 6 to 10, $14.95. Reviewer: Uma Krishnaswami
ISBN: 1-56397-233-6
Thief of Hearts
Laurence Yep
This entertaining middle grade novel focuses on Stacy, a young girl with a Chinese American mother and a European American father. After her parents ask Stacy to help a young Chinese immigrant adjust to an American school, the Chinese girl, Hong Ch'un is accused of theft. Ashamed and angry, Hong Ch'un flees to Chinatown. At school, the other children accuse Stacy of being a "half-breed" for siding with Hong Ch'un. Hurt and unsure of her own identity as a Chinese American, Stacy goes with her mother and her great-grandmother to find Hong Ch'un. Shocked by the changes in Chinatown, Stacy's relatives talk about the way things used to be and Stacy gains a new understanding of her own family's history. They find Hong Ch'un and return home to find Stacy's father pollinating the cherry trees in the neighborhood by waving a cherry branch in the wind from the roof of their house. This quirky moment symbolizes her father's search for home and heritage by growing things. In one night, Stacy gains a greater understanding of her own identity and learns to value the importance of her family's past. The following day, she and Hong Ch'un entrap the real thief and begin to build a new friendship. An absorbing book that sometimes becomes too didactic, this novel demonstrates Yep's ability to weave cultural history, mythology, family relations, and an entertaining plot together into one well-crafted story. 1995, HarperCollins Publishers, $14.95 and $4.95. Ages 10 to 14. Reviewers: Alexandria LaFaye
ISBN: 0-06-025341-X
ISBN: 0-06-025342-8
This Next New Year
Janet S. Wong
Pictures by Yangsook Choi
Through a young boy's eves we experience the joys and anticipation leading up to the lunar New Year, the Chinese New Year. Lunar New Year is celebrated at a different time each year because it depends on when the new moon occurs. It is a time for hope and a second chance. A time to reach for your dreams. The protagonists best friends, a French and German boy and another who is part Hopi and part Mexican also celebrate the Chinese New Year. Lots of preparation is required. The boy helps his mother clean. He cleans himself and even flosses his teeth in preparation for the big holiday. When it arrives he promises to be brave and not cover his ears and hide his face during the lighting of the firecrackers. He is ready for his second chance, no negative thoughts. It is a new beginning. Yangsook Choi brings the celebration vividly to life with her bright, vibrant pictures. 2000, Frances Foster Books, Ages 3 to 5, $16.00. Reviewer: Leila Toledo
ISBN: 0-374-35503-7
A Time of Golden Dragons
Song Nan Zhang & Hao Yu Zhang
Illustrated by Song Nan Zhang
This Year of the Golden Dragon, February 5, 2000 to January 23, 2001, coincides with the Western Millennium Year, an event that happens only once every 3,000 years. To celebrate this occasion, the Zhangs offer a collection of bits of dragon lore from legends and history. Although a menacing creature in Western folk tales, the dragon is, to the Chinese, a symbol of friendship, protection, loyalty, luck, and of imperial power. It has also come to be a "symbol of the Chinese people." The summary of general dragon information concludes with charts explaining the Chinese animal names and characteristics for the hours of the day and for the twelve year cycle of the calendar. The pictorial information is presented in varying formats from very small vignettes to detailed, finely wrought, full-page scenes in realistic color. 2000, Tundra Books/ McClelland & Stewart Young Readers,Ages 8 to 11, $16.95. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
ISBN: 0-88776-506-8
Updated 01/11/02
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