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A great selection of books for families, educators, and the community

Lunar New Year: Children's Books for Every Family

Updated: Jan 15

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These fun children’s books offer an excellent way to introduce little readers to the magic, tradition, and excitement of the Lunar New Year and the different ways it's celebrated across the globe. (Complete with publisher's descriptions)

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From Korean American author-illustrator Aram Kim, Tomorrow is New Year's Day follows a little girl sharing the fun customs of Seollal--the Korean Lunar New Year--with her classmates.


Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, is Mina's favorite day of the year.


Mina can't wait to share the customs of Seollal with all of her friends at school. She will show her classmates her colorful hanbok, demonstrate how to do sebae, and then everyone will make tasty tteokguk in the cooking room. Yum! Her little brother may even join in on the fun... if he can find a way out of his bad mood.


In this joyful book about sharing age-old cultural celebrations with new friends, Aram Kim has created a must-have book for the New Year's season. A glossary of Korean terms, with pronunciation guide, is included.


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Every year is the Year of the Cat!

A legendary race determined the order of the animals in the Chinese zodiac calendar . . . but what happened to Cat, the one animal who never received a year? Rat, Cat, and their eleven friends star in this funny animal adventure that introduces young readers to both the Chinese zodiac and the importance of apologizing. For fans of This Is Not My Hat and We Don't Eat Our Classmates.


Rat won the Great Race, which determined the order of the Chinese zodiac calendar. But he did it using trickery that left poor Cat behind. Now, Rat wants to make amends . . . or so he says. Rat, Pig, Dog, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Horse, Snake, Dragon, Tiger, Rabbit, and Ox all set off to apologize to Cat. Yet somehow, by the end of the journey, Rat is the only one left. And Cat has a special surprise for him.


Richard Ho's sly and perfectly paced text unfolds an exciting animal adventure, full of nods to the traditional Great Race tale. And watch out for an unexpected, delicious twist when Cat doesn't find Rat's apology quite sincere! Jocelyn Li Langrand's joyful and expressive illustrations bring the journey to vibrant life, full of details that reward a closer look. Together thetext and art are an homage to the traditional Great Race tale and a funny, subversive update for today's young readers.


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Lily LaMotte, brilliant author of the graphic novel Measuring Up, an ALA Top Ten, has written her debut picture book about a special Lunar New Year feast. Perfect for fans of Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin and I Am Golden by Eva Chen.

Themes of love and family underlie the snappy text. --Kirkus


It's almost Lunar New Year, and Chloe can't wait to celebrate! But first, Chloe and her family must prepare for the new year. They buy new shoes, lay out good-luck oranges in a bowl, decorate the red envelope, and make a crispy turnip cake. Everyone comes together to cook a fantastic feast, saving a plate for A-má, of course. Chloe enjoys the festive celebration and yummy food, but most of all, she loves spending time with her family.

Lily LaMotte and Michelle Lee have created a tender, warm, and uplifting holiday story about tradition and the importance of being with those you love.


The backmatter contains educational facts about the Lunar New Year celebration in Taiwan and a fun recipe for a yummy fortune cake!


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Celebrate the Lunar New Year through a young girl's family traditions in this charming picture book featuring illustrations by New York Times bestselling artist Dung Ho that also includes a recipe for pineapple cakes!


Little Ren looks forward to the preparation for and festivities of Lunar New Year, but she is always too little to help make the delicious pineapple cakes that are her favorite. She watches family members rolling out the dough and loves the mouth-watering smell. Watching and waiting, when will Ren be old enough?


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A favorite fairy tale set in a bustling contemporary Chinatown.


It's Chinese New Year, and Goldy Luck's mother wants her to take a plate of turnip cakes to the neighbors. The Chans aren't home, but that doesn't stop Goldy from trying out their rice porridge, their chairs, and their beds--with disastrous results.


In this funny and festive retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Natasha Yim and Grace Zong introduce a plucky heroine who takes responsibility for her actions and makes a new friend (and a whole plate of turnip cakes!), just in time for Chinese New Year. Includes back matter about Chinese New Year and a recipe for turnip cakes.


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Discover all the celebratory traditions surrounding Lunar New Year in this festive addition to the Night Before series.


It's the night before Lunar New Year, and a little girl is excited for all of the celebrations to come. She's prepared dumplings with her mom, bought a new dress in Chinatown, and even helped scare mythical beast Nian away with her cousins and brother. There's only one problem: she's a bit nervous about all of the loud noises at the upcoming Lunar New Year Parade.


Will she overcome her fears? Find out in the latest installment of the Night Before series, told in the style of Clement C. Moore's classic tale.


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