Children’s books to celebrate Lunar New Year
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The Lunar New Year is almost upon us! Here Emma Chan shares five children’s books to help families celebrate.
Growing up in the United Kingdom, I wasn’t introduced to a fictionalised Asian character until Cho Chang in Harry Potter. I sometimes wonder if that’s why it took me so long to understand the importance of Asian representation in literature. If books that showed people who looked like me were more readily available during my childhood, would I have seen myself differently and, perhaps, had a stronger sense of belonging?
The answer is: Absolutely!
An aspect of being a bookseller I love the most is curating books to bring into the shop and sell. Also, seeing families coming into the shop and showing their loved one’s books representing them is one of the most wholesome experiences of the job.
Watching children’s and young adults’ faces light up when they see an illustration of a character that looks like them brings a smile to my face. What’s even better is when adults buy picture books for themselves, filling the evident void of their childhood experiences. That’s the best!
This Lunar New Year—which includes the Chinese New Year—begins on Sunday 22 January. It’s the Year of the Rabbit, and here are some children’s books to share with your little ones (or even, yourself!).
Happy Chinese New Year! | Jannie Ho (Ages 0-3)
This adorable board book for babies and toddlers takes tiny readers on a counting journey filled with colourful illustrations of all the zodiac animals. The rhythmic text is simple to follow, and the story includes Chinese numbers and a pronunciation guide.
Here’s a little excerpt:
“Rat cleaned away the bad luck in one big sweep!
Ox shopped for two new outfits.
Tiger brought three kinds of flowers.”
Lunar Phases on Chinese New Year! | Ruth Spiro (Ages 0-3)
This clever board book explores the lunar calendar, the moon’s orbit, and the reason the moon seems to change shape. Baby discovers the science behind lunar phases while celebrating Chinese New Year in this beautiful and visually stimulating book. The pictures and text are easy to follow and encourage a reader’s wonder.
Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade | Lyla Lee (Ages 6-9)
A fun addition to the Mindy Kim series comes from the author of I’ll Be the One and the upcoming Flip the Script for teens. This chapter book follows Mindy Kim, a young Asian-American girl preparing to celebrate Lunar New Year. Even though it’s Mindy’s first Lunar New Year without her mum, she is determined to make the most of it. So Mindy decides to make traditional Korean rice cake soup, but it doesn’t quite go to plan.
With the help of her friends and family, can Mindy still enjoy her old holiday traditions while creating new ones along the way?
New Year | Mei Zihan & Qin Leng (Ages 9-12)
New Year is a heart-warming and moving picture book to read when missing family that are far away from you.
Lunar New Year is when families come together for a beautiful feast, but in this story, it’s not possible as the father longs to be with his daughter, but she lives in another country. The story follows the father’s memories as he recalls fond memories of time spent with his daughter. Although he misses her, he recognises her need to move away, grow up, and become herself.
This is a beautiful and loving portrait of leaving home, becoming independent, and loving those still miles away.
The Great Race | Christopher Corr (Ages 2+)
The Great Race is a best-seller at the local bookstore, The Book Cow. Readers learn how every animal earned its place in the Chinese zodiac by participating in the Great Race. With bright, colourful images spread across the entire book, readers are quickly enchanted by the folktales of each different animal.
These are only a select few of what local bookstores have to offer. I highly recommend the following stores when shopping for Lunar New Year books for young readers:
- The Book Cow | Kingston
- Dymocks | Canberra Centre
