The Year of the Rat written and illustrated by Grace Lin

The Year of the Rat has arrived and the Lin family, Pacy, her mom and dad, older sister Lissy and young sister KiKi are celebrating with the Ling family - Mr. and Mrs. Ling, Pacy's best friend Melody, and her two brothers. The Lins and Lings are the only Taiwanese families in New Hartford, NY, where they live.

But when Pacy teases Lissy during dinner, she's told not to say anything rude or bad on the New Year, especially since the Year of the Rat symbolizes changes and new beginnings and you don't want those to be bad. But change is exactly what begins to happen. First, Pacy learns that Melody's dad is being transferred to California and Melody will be moving away. Her dad's company is sending a new family from China to work in NY and live in her house. Pacy and Melody promise to keep in touch, even sending each other books that they've read.

There are still more changes in store for Pacy when favorite older fun-but-still-not-an-adult cousin Clifford announces that he had met a girl when he was working in Taiwan and now they are engaged to be married in the summer.

After Melody leaves and the new Chinese boy shows up at school, Pacy ignores him and the two boys who are always making fun of him and his name - Dun Wei becomes Dumb Way. And even though Dun Wei doesn't speak much English yet, it's clear he understands that he is being made fun of. As far as Pacy is concerned, Dun Wei is the enemy for replacing Melody, and as Lissy explains, he's also 'fresh off the boat' Chinese, meaning someone who has just arrived in the US and who doesn't know how to be American yet.

Hanging out with old friends Becky and Charlotte brings other changes, as well. The remarks they make about Chinese people and how they always want to hook her up to Dun Wei when they talk about boyfriends because they are the only Chinese students in the school really begin to bother Pacy. Why don't they ever think to hook her up to Steve Mercer? After all, that's the boy Pacy is crushing on and they know it.

Then, Pacy, who had decided to be an author and illustrator of books as an adult, learns about the "cold door" she suddenly finds herself questioning her destiny. In Chinese culture, the cold door represents choosing a hard path in life for oneself, similar to the Western idea of the starving artist. Is this a choice she should rethink?

The first half of the Year of the Rat is full of what feels like unwelcome changes, but in the last half of the year, Pacy learns some important lessons about change and destiny that refocus her whole way of looking at things. Umm..., maybe change and new beginnings are so bad after all.

Here are some of the things I really liked about The Year of the Rat:

This is the third Pacy Lin novel I've read and I felt like I really knew the fictional Lin family at this point (see The Year of the Dog and Dumpling Days). So in many ways, it was a comfort read.

This year, without Melody by her side and seeing how unkind the other students are to Dun Wei, Pacy becomes much more aware of the kind of microaggressions she's always heard but ignored. But can Pacy find the strength to stand up to them and finally say something to the kids making those? Even before she can say something to others, however, Pacy will have to look at her prejudice regarding 'fresh-off-the-boat' Dun Wei being Chinese and not Taiwanese.

Like the previous Pacy Lin books, The Year of the Rat is full of Chinese culture, traditions, and legends and Grace Lin has woven them into the story seamlessly. Readers will discover why the rat is an admired animal on the Chinese zodiac; they will learn how easy it is to make a mistake when choosing your lunch and still learning English, and they will be introduced to traditional Chinese dishes that made my mouth water. Grace Lin has sprinkled fun black and white line illustrations throughout they book and at the end, she has includes photos of herself, her family, and best friend Alvina, the real life people Pacy's fictional life is based on.

I really enjoyed revisiting Pacy, her family and friends and I'm sure your young readers will enjoy reading about them, as well. And what better time to read The Year of the Rat than in the Year of the Rat.

新年快乐
(Happy New Year to You)

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was purchased for my personal library

Be sure to check out the other Marvelous Middle Grade Monday offerings, now being carried on by Greg at Always in the Middle. 

Happy Lunar New Year! Celebrate with These Four Picture Books

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year and it's the Year of the Pig, the twelfth animal of the 12-year cycle. People born in the Year of the Pig are said to be strong, noble, loyal friends, but be careful, they can also be a little reckless at times. We have been reading some books about the Lunar New Year and would like to share some with you today.

D is for Dragon Dance by Ying Chang Compestine,

illustrated by Yongsheng Xuan

Holiday House, 2006, 32 pages

Younger readers can learn all about the Chinese New Year celebration while learning their ABCs with this beautifully illustrated alphabet book. Each letter of the alphabet is on a two page spread and includes one or two aspects of Chinese New Year beliefs or customs: "K is for Kites, L is for Lantern/Chinese people believe that flying kites and lantern light scare away evil spirits, R is for Red Envelopes/Children receive red envelopes that contain good luck money, S is for Steamed Dumplings/Eat these special treats to begin the New Year." The vibrant watercolor, acrylic, and latex illustrations richly depict icons of Chinese New Year celebrations, over a background of Chinese calligraphic characters. Back matter includes a recipe for New Year's Dumplings, a Chinese Zodiac chart, and Tips to Ensure Good Fortune in the New Year. 

FYI: I haven't seen this yet, but D is for Dragon has been reissued in 2018 by Holiday House in a bilingual edition written in English and Chinese characters, with the pinyon, a Romanization of Chinese characters based on pronunciation.  

Ruby's Chinese New Year by Vickie Lee, 

illustrated by Joey Chou

Henry Hold BFYR, 2017, 40 pages

When her grandmother gets sick and can't make it to Ruby's house to celebrate Chinese New Year, Ruby decides to bring the celebration to her. After carefully drawing a picture of her family sitting at the table eating traditional New Year's food, Ruby tucks it into a red envelope and sets off to visit her grandmother. Along the way, Ruby runs into all the animals in the Chinese zodiac who accompany her to grandmother's house. This is an appealing introduction to the Chinese Zodiac and highlights the importance of sharing the New Year with family. Back matter includes the legend of the zodiac and what each animal represents. There are also instructions for three craft activities - a lantern, a fan, and a good luck banner. The colorful, humorous illustrations are digitally painted.

The Runaway Wok by Ying Chang Compestine,

illustrated by Sebastia Serra

Dutton BFYR, 2011, 32 pages

This starts off like a bit of a Jack and the Beanstalk story, except there's not giant, just a rusty wok with no handles. It's almost New Year and Ming is given some eggs to trade for a bag of rice for his family's celebration. Even though Ming's father works, the family is poor because Mr. Li, the richest man in Beijing, doesn't pay his workers enough. On his way to the market, Ming meets a man who sells him a rusty wok after Ming hears it singing "Boy, Boy, trade for me/I am more than what you see." His parents are understandably upset when they see what Ming has done, but when the wok begins to sing again, then runs away, they are more than pleasantly surprised when it returns. Young readers will be pleased and surprised as well, when they see what this wok does. We read this every year now, and love the story as much as Sebastia Serra's colorful, lively illustrations.

A Gift written and illustrated by Yong Chen

2009, Boyds Mills Press, 32 pages

As we've already seen, the Lunar New Year is family time, a time when everyone gets together to celebrate. But sometimes families are separated by long distances and can't be reunited with their relatives. As Amy and her mother get ready for Chinese New Year, her mother is homesick because her brothers Zhong, a farmer, and Ming, a fisherman, and her sister Mei, a nurse, are all still living in China. But when a letter arrives from her siblings, Amy's mother's spirits are lifted, and inside the letter is a beautiful gift from her brothers and sister for Amy. As Amy's mother reads the letter, she and Amy are transported to China because of the vivid descriptions of how the gift was made. While the text is spare and the story quite gentle, Yong Chen's detailed watercolor illustrations do much to complete the text's narration. This is a story that really hit home for us, as I watch my Kiddo's husband struggle with homesickness every Chinese New Year because he lives her and his parents and friends are still in China.

祝好运、健康、佳肴伴你度过一个快乐新年

Good Luck, Good Health, Good Cheer and Pass a Happy New Year

The Year of the Dog (A Pacy Lin Novel Book 1) by Grace Lin

The Lunar New Year lasts for 15 days, and technically, it ended on February 11th this year, with the first full moon and the traditional Lantern Festival. We were still reading and enjoying Grace Lin's book The Year of the Dog, her first Pacy Lin novel, on the last day of the New Year, but it is just too good not to write about - better late than never.

The Year of the Dog has arrived and the Lins - Pacy, her mom and dad, her older sister Lissy and younger sister Ki-Ki - are celebrating with all the traditional customs and foods. In the Year of the Dog, Pacy learns, you are supposed to find your best friends, as well as yourself and what you want to do with your life.

Pacy isn't sure what finding yourself means for her, though. She knows she's Chinese, but her parents are Taiwanese and she doesn't speak either language, but her mom and dad do. She was born in the US, so she's also American, and at school she is called by her American name, Grace. But, to Americans, she is too Chinese, and to Chinese people, she is too American. Will Pacy really be able to find herself in the Year of the Dog?

So far, Pacy has been the only Chinese student at school, besides her sister. But, the day after celebrating the New Year, Pacy returns to school and discovers that there is a new Chinese girl named Melody, who is also Taiwanese American. The two girls become instant best friends.

As the Year of the Dog goes by, Pacy experiences many things, some are traditionally Chinese, others very American. First, there is the family's trip to New Jersey to celebrate Pacy's new born cousin Albert's Red Egg party, in which eggs are dyed red and brought to the baby for luck, along with red envelopes full of money.

Then, at school, the students are given an assignment to write and illustrate a book of their own as part of a national contest. Pacy is excited at first, but soon realizes she can't think anything to write and illustrate that interests her. Later in the year, Melody and Pacy decide to participate in the Science Fair, which doesn't go exactly as planned. Pacy is also excited when the teacher announces that the class play will be The Wizard of Oz. Hoping to get the part of Dorothy, her enthusiasm is spoiled when her friend Becky tells her that she can't be Dorothy, because Dorothy's not Chinese.

By the end of the school year, Pacy has finally come up with an idea for her book project, and then school is over, and summer arrives. Melody and her family are going to spend a week at TAC camp, a camp for Taiwanese Americans, and Mrs. Lin decides it would be good for her family to go as well. Pacy is signed up for an art class, but she isn't very welcomed by the other girls in the class who speak Chinese and call her a Twinkie (yellow on the outside, but white on the inside).

The fall goes by, with very funny and touching descriptions of the Lins celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Lin children want these holidays to be celebrated traditionally, but their parents keep wanting to celebrate in a Chinese way. I thought this touching because I think everyone in the US puts their own cultural spin on these holidays. I know my family did (American southern and Welsh), and I know the families of my friend's did the same thing.

So when Chinese New Year comes around again and the Year of the Dog come to an end and the Year of the Pig is welcomed in, we know Pacy has found a new friend, has spent time with her family, including her grandparents from Taiwan, but has she succeeded in finding herself and what she wants to do with her life?

In her afterward, Grace Lin writes the she wrote The Year of the Dog because it was the book she wished she had when she was growing Asian in a Caucasian community, not because she had been a miserable and gloomy life, but because it was different and she wanted to express the difference in an real and upbeat way. Which is why some of the vignettes in the book don't come to a neat conclusion - after, all sometimes life doesn't either.

But what Lin does do is address issues that do impact children who are not white but life in a white community. For example, when Pacy is told she can't be Dorothy in the play. Cast as a munchkin, she is given the job of handing a gift to Dorothy, and worries that being in the spotlight for a few seconds will be a problem for the audience.

Lin has included lots of information about what life is like in a Chinese American family. I loved the annual trip to NYC's Chinatown to buy Chinese groceries for the year. I also love shopping in Chinatown, though I only buy what I can carry on the subway.

Lin tells Pacy's story simply and directly. It is narrated from Pacy point of view in the first person, but alternates with anecdotes, or really real life lessons, told by her mother from her childhood in Taiwan. Lin also gives detailed descriptions of the food that the family eats, and now that I am more familiar with real Chinese food, thanks to my Kiddo and her husband who comes from China, I could really appreciate these mouth-watering details.

I also really liked that Pacy's family in loving and intact. There is no one major problem that must be dealt with, both mom and dad are present and aware of their children's lives, and they do lots of things together as a family and with other families. All that makes The Year of the Dog an endearing, often humorous work that I think young readers will most definitely enjoy.

Grace Lin has posted some great activities for readers of The Year of the Dog HERE

This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord

I originally posted this on my other blog, The Children's War, but I thought I would share it here as well. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson is just such a classic story, perfect for the Lunar New Year.

It is the Year of the Dog (1946), the war is over and China is no longer an occupied country.  In Chungking (now Chongqing), members of the House of Wong are preparing to celebrate Chinese New Year when a letter arrives from Brooklyn, NY that will change the life of Sixth Cousin AKA Bandit and her mother forever.

And so as the Year of the Dog became the Year of the Boar (1947), Sixth Cousin Bandit becomes Shirley Temple Wong and soon she and her mother were sailing off to their new life.  Arriving in Brooklyn, Shirley finds herself living in a small third floor apartment.  And it wasn't long before she is enrolled in P.S. 8, regretting that she hadn't bothered to learn any English from the records her father had sent from America as her mother had done. 

Confused and anxious, Shirley is put into Mrs. Rappaport's 5th grade class.   She begins be feel very lonely and isolated because she doesn't know English or American games and no one really wants to play with her once they discover that.  When her father buys her roller skates, roller skating proves harder to do than she had expected and she gives it up.  When Shirley proves to be a poor stickball or stoopball player, she is left out of the game.  One day, she gets into a fight with Mabel, the tallest, toughest girl in class, but Shirley stands her ground despite two black eyes.

Seeing her eyes, her parents insist on reporting it to the police, but on the way, Shirley notices Mabel is following them and she determines to say nothing about the fight.  Impressed by Shirley's silence, Mabel takes her under her wing and teaches her how to roller skate, and play ball.  And she introduces Shirley to the thrill of the Brooklyn Dodgers and Jackie Robinson, the first African American baseball player to play in the major leagues.

Though no without its trials and tribulations, Shirley life has definitely taken a turn for the better.  But there is a big surprise in store for her before the Year of the Boar comes to an end.

Though this novel may feel a little dated, it remains a wonderful story for any young reader who may also be an immigrant to the US.  It is, after all, a tale of coming to terms with two cultures - that of your own and that of your adopted country.  And to her credit, Bette Bao Lord has really captured some of the difficulties involved in adjusting to a new life in a new country, showing us that it isn't always easy.  Perhaps she was drawing on her own experience of coming to the US as an 8 year old. 

Lord does include a nice, though subtle tip of the hat to Shirley's two cultures - because this novel starts at the beginning of the Chinese New Year, the chapters are divided into months of the year 1947, with both the English word and the Chinese character given for each month.

I loved her depictions of Brooklyn and the fact that Shirley goes to a public school, where she has the opportunity to meet all kinds of different kids - Latino, African American, Jewish among others.  This kind of diversity was how it was when I was in school in Brooklyn and why I sent my Kiddo to public school.  And the Brooklyn Dodgers - well, people were still taking about them when I was a kid even though they had long ago moved to LA. 

So in respect of New York, Lord did indeed get it right, but I had a little problem with what felt like a romanticized picture of China and the House of Wong.  The war hit China pretty hard and Chungking (Chonqing) was very badly bombed.  I seriously doubt there were family compounds like the House of Wong left.   Perhaps it was done to show the difference between the two cultures that are so much a part of Shirley's life and who she is. 

The colorful cover and the black and white illustrations at the beginning of each chapter were whimsically illustrated by the late Marc Simont.

This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was purchased for my personal library

祝好运、健康、佳肴伴你度过一个快乐新年

Good Luck, Good Health, Good Cheer and Pass a Happy New Year

PoPo's Lucky Chinese New Year by Virginia Loh-Hagan, illustrated by Renné Benoit

It's almost Chinese New Year, and PoPo has come all the way from China to celebrate with her Chinese American granddaughter. And as her granddaughter learns, there is a lot to do to get ready for the New Year celebrations. There's cleaning, washing, and cooking, red and gold decorations be made and hung up, including a sign the says Fu - but remember hang it upside down to mean luck has arrived.

When the New Year finally arrives, PoPo, her granddaughter and little grandson first make an offering to their ancestors, then get dressed in their new red clothes. And then there are yummy almond cookies to eat (I loved these as a kid and still do) and off to the big dragon parade, where they throw tiny firecracker snaps to chase away the evil spirits. All this is followed by a red and gold lucky envelope with crisp new money in it.

PoPo's Lucky Chinese New Year is a sweet intergenerational story. Having grandmother come from China makes the learning experience for her granddaughter all the more fun and important. Cultural beliefs and rituals are often handed down from one generation to another, but this brings the meanings so much closer to the (unnamed) Chinese American granddaughter, as sometimes ritual is observed, but the reasons for them can get lost.

The story isn't particularly text heavy, and I think readers may find the explanation for each ritual, which is done in yellow against a strip of red at the bottom or top of the page, very interesting, without being overwhelming, nor do they interfere with the story. The pencil and watercolor illustrations are homey, warm and inviting. They really capture the little girl's different moods as the family get ready for New Year; after all, sometimes it is just hard work, but other times it is so much fun; sometimes baby brothers are pests, and other times, they are cuddly. 

As much as I enjoyed reading about why things are done for the New Year, I was a little thrown off by the fact that the girl and her baby brother weren't named. Also, I am so used to hearing Mandarin that the Cantonese threw me off at first.  For example, I think of lucky money as hongbao not lai see. But in fact, most Chinese people in the United States are Cantonese, so it made sense in the end.

PoPo's Lucky Chinese New Year is an excellent way to teach all young readers, regardless of whether they are Chinese or not, about this most significant celebration in the lunar calendar, while stressing the importance of family, and especially grandparents, for connecting kids to their past and their culture.

At the end of the book, you will find instructions for making a Chinese pellet Drum to make some noise and help chase away the evil spirits.

Here are some other instructions for more easy crafts young readers might like:

Kids may have fun making their own lai see. Simple instructions and templates can be found HERE.

Chinese New Year lanterns are also popular to make and easy instructions and templates can be found HERE.

Crayola has a nice, easy dragon puppet that can be made by kids HERE.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+

This book was purchased for my personal library

祝好运、健康、佳肴伴你度过一个快乐新年

Good Luck, Good Health, Good Cheer and Pass a Happy New Year

The Year of the Rooster: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac by Oliver Chin, illustrated by Juan Calle

This year, Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival and Lunar New Year, begins today, January 28, 2017 and ends on February 11th with the Lantern Festival. This year, it is the Year of the Rooster, the 10th sign in the Chinese zodiac, and so, it is time for a new tale from the Chinese Zodiac by Oliver Chin.

It's a new year and the egg Mama has been keeping warm and safe has finally started to crack. Sure enough, a new rooster is born and his name is Ray. When young Ying arrives to help clean the coop, she and Ray become instant friends, playing in the yard.

One night, Papa wakes Ray up and takes him to his job - waking the town up with his loud, confident "Cock-a-doodle-doo." It is an important job that Ray will one day inherit. But, for now, Ray "Cock-a-doodle-do" is just too weak. On their way home that morning, Papa and Ray meet a pig who claims he has just seen the legendary phoenix and has a feather to prove it. Back home, Ying and Ray are fascinated with the gleaming feather and decide they want to see the phoenix, as well.

Ying and Ray immediately run in a rat, who directs them to a farmers market for the latest news. If you look at the zodiac below, you will easily be able to predict the next animal Ying and Ray meet, and each one after that. As they encounter each animal, they get closer and closer to finding the phoenix, until finally a monkey points to a high mountain and tells them that what they seek lies up there. That night, the two friends climb up the mountain, stopping often and admiring the view, until finally reaching the top. There, Ray gave his first bold "Cock-a-doodle-doo." The phoenix, with blazing eyes and shimmering colorful feathers, tells Ray "You've displayed a fiery spirit and have a bright future ahead."

Ray returns home to the roost with Ying, excited to tell his parents about their adventure on this once in a lifetime trip, and about the nine animals he met along the way, and how he has learned to always respect his place in the pecking order of life. This turns out to be a very Happy Year of the Rooster.

Oliver Chin has a real knack for retelling the ancient Chinese zodiac stories for today's modern reader, and making them fun, energetic and understandable to anyone not already familiar with the tales, as well as those who are. And once again, the tales are totally supported by artist Juan Calle's dynamic, colorful illustrations.

One of the nice things about Chin's zodiac tales is that they are all written in English and Chinese using simplified characters. When my Kiddo visited this month, she read the story in Chinese aloud to me and we both enjoyed it very much (even though I only understood a few words). But it is nice to know that the tales match in both languages.

This is Oliver Chin's 12th book retelling tales from the Chinese Zodiac, even though The Year of the Rooster is the 10th animal on the zodiac. My young readers found this a little confusing, so we printed out the zodiac chart below to keep track of the animals that Ying and Ray meet, and to understand the "pecking order" better, with the Rat being the first sign:

Reading The Year of the Rooster made me curious to know how the dates of the Spring Festival determined. I knew it was based on the lunar calendar, but what determines the exact fifteen days. Turns out to be pretty simple: the first day of the Lunar New Year begins with the new moon that falls between January 21st and February 20th and ends on the full moon 15 days later.

Were you born in a year of the rooster? People born in the year of the rooster are independent, bright, and ambitious. But, alas, they are also selfish, narrow-minded, and critical.

The Year of the Rooster is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was provided to me by the publisher, Immedium

祝好运、健康、佳肴伴你度过一个快乐新年

Good Luck, Good Health, Good Cheer and Pass a Happy New Year

As 2016 Chinese New Year Celebrations draw to a close...

In my family, we celebrate the traditional Chinese New Year, so for us, the celebrations end on Monday, February 22, 2016 with the traditional Lantern Festival, instead of on February 14th.  My Kiddo's husband, A/K/A my Kiddo-in-law, is from China and that is how he has always celebrated the New Year.  I love how my family has become so diverse over time, bringing new traditions we have made a part of our lives too.

But, I have to admit, that little did I know when I took my 10 year-old Kiddo to Chinatown, that the road from the Wonton Garden Restaurant on Mulberry Street, where all the waiters wore Hawaiian shirts, would turn out to be a journey that went from Manhattan to Beijing to Fuzhou to Dalian and back again for her.   With each trip, my Kiddo brought back a lot of really good tea, as well as information and many traditions found in Chinese culture.  And it's been an interesting education.  I wear my lucky red socks for Chinese New Year, I can make my own dumplings, and I find rice and noodles to be a part of my everyday diet  And I read lots of Chinese-related books, and I'm stashing away picture books just in case a baby comes along someday.

Meantime, here are a few of my latest reads that I am adding to future baby's bookshelf:

Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac

written and illustrated by Ed Young

Square Fish, 1998, 32 pages (Age 4+)

I'm a Leo, so naturally I've always wondered why there is no cat in the Chinese zodiac and after reading this, now I know why.  In this retelling, the Jade Emperor announces a race to fill up the 12 places on the Chinese calendar and that these 12 animals would each have a year named after them.  Cat and rat, being friends, decided to work together to win a place on the calendar.  Well, a rat is a rat is a rat... At the beginning of the story, there is a list of the 12 animals and their personality traits.  I was born in the year of the dog.  What's your sign?

Long Long's New Year: A Story about the Chinese Spring Festival

by Catherine Gower, illustrated by He Zhihong

Tuttle Publishing, 2005, 32 pages (Age 5+)

Long Long and his grandfather are on the way to to the city sell their cabbages to get money for their Spring Festival celebrations, when the bicycle carrying them gets a flat tire.  Long Long tells his grandfather he will get the tire fixed while grandpa sells the cabbages.  But when Long Long gets back and sees that no one is buying their cabbages, he decides to take matters in hand himself.  This is a gentle story with outstanding illustrations that give a wide view of what life was like in small Chinese village.  Includes information on the very first Spring Festival and a glossary of Chinese words used in the story.

The Magical Monkey King: Mischief in Heaven 

by Ji-Li Jiang, illustrated by Hui Hui Su-Kennedy

HarperCollins, 2002, 122 pages (Age 7+)

Yes, this is the Year of the Monkey, that trickster of the Chinese zodiac and in case you were wondering why is has that reputation, you will definitely find the answer in these tales about this "hero of Chinese legend."  In this short chapter book, readers learn how the monkey became the Monkey King, how he became powerful studying under a sage named Master Subhodi, then stole magic from the Dragon King and felt the ire of the Jade Emperor, all in his quest for immortality.  Young readers will enjoy all the antics and tricks, and will no doubt want to read more stories about the recalcitrant Monkey King.

Chinese Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook

by Paul Yee, illustrated by Shaoli Wang, recipes by Judy Chan

Crocodile Books, 2014, 106 pages (Age 7+)

I can't begin to tell you how much I wish this book were around when my Kiddo was growing up.  It would have been right up her alley.  It consists of a collection of both traditional and contemporary Chinese fairy tales paired with a recipe representative of the tale's theme.  So far, my favorites stories are "Banquet of Waste" with a recipe for Congee (rice porridge) and "Stretch and Fold, Stretch and Fold" with a recipe for Dan-Dan Mian (noodles with Peanut Sauce, and "The Ungrateful Wolf" with a recipe for beef lettuce wraps.  There are 13 tales and 13 recipes and we are slowly working our way through the whole book.   This is a great book for kids and their parents to read and then try the recipes together. 

Bowls of Happiness by Brian Tse, illustrated by Alice Mak,

translated by Ben Wang

China Institute of America, 2015, 84 pages (Age 4+)

This is a really lovely two part book.  The first part is the story of Piggy, a little girl whose mother loves her so much, she decides to make a special bowl for her.  As she paints the bowl with designs from nature, Piggy enters the scene on it using her imagination.  The second part of the book teaches readers all about how these beautiful bowls are made, including the importance of the symbolism, the colors used and the different shapes.  This is a beautifully illustrated, well made book.  The story of Piggy is fine for young readers, but I think the second part will appeal more to the young reader's parents. 

What Was It Like, Mr. Emperor?  Life in China's Forbidden City

by Chiu Kwong-chin, translated by Ben Wang

China Institute of America, 2016, 108 pages (Age 9+)

This is a great book for kids interested in Chinese history and culture, and a wonderful companion book to Chiu Kwong-chin's earlier book In the Forbidden City.  Illustrated with whimsical, engaging digitally produced images, young readers will learn all about who the emperors were and what they meant in Chinese society.  Of course, you can't be an emperor without some help and they were surrounded by a variety of people who served different purposes in daily life within the Forbidden City.  These are also explained, right down to the food tasters whose job it was to make sure the emperor wasn't poisoned by an enemy.  This is also a well-made, beautifully produced book as well as timely, since more and more kids are learning about China these days.  

祝好运、健康、佳肴伴你度过一个快乐新年

Good Luck, Good Health, Good Cheer and Pass a Happy New Year

The Year of the Monkey: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac by Oliver Chin, illustrated by Kenji Ono

Chinese New Year begins on February 8, 2016 and this year it is the Year of the Monkey from the Chinese zodiac.  And just in time for the New Year celebrations, comes Oliver Chin's The Year of the Monkey: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac for young readers.

Max is the son of the legendary prankster, the Monkey King and his Queen.  You know Max is going to be quite a monkey when the Jade Emperor sees him and warns that if Max follows in his parents footsteps, the world would certainly have to take notice.

At school, Max isn't the best student and ends up in the principal's office, but he loves playing in the school yard on the jungle gym and swings.  One day, Max and his new friend Kai are taken to the gym by their teacher.  There, Max sees other kids kicking a feathered weight in a game called Jianzi or shuttlecock, a game similar to hackey-sack.

Jianzi is a game right up Max's alley, requiring lots of energy and skill, so he and Kai begin to practice every chance they get.  Max wants to be the best player he can be, but his mom, the Queen, tells him to stop wasting his time on games, that they have higher expectations for him.  When the annual shuttlecock tornament is announced, everyone agrees that the champions, the Tiger and the Dragon, are unbeatable champions and it would take a miracle for them to be defeated.

A typical shuttlecock

A miracle?  Those odds really appeal to the Monkey King and his son Max.  So Max and Kai begin to practice with renewed determination.  But to win a tournament, Max would need a special move, a winning kick so to speak, and his dad has just the right move for him.  But can two youngsters possibly defeat the seasoned Jianzi champions? 

I read The Year of the Monkey to my two young neighbors, Lilly and John, who knew nothing about the Chinese New Year or the Chinese zodiac.  They loved the story and the characters and wanted to know more about the Monkey King and the other animals of the zodiac.  Unfortunately, neither was born in a Year of the Monkey.  But this is the kind of story that works well when it comes to teaching kids about cultures other than their own, as I discovered with Lilly and John.  They particularly liked the illustrations by Kenji Ono.  I also found them to be fun and colorful, having the same level of energy that Max has.   Now, the kids want to read all of Oliver Chin's Chinese zodiac tales.  

One of the things I really liked about Max's story is that it showed young readers that they can channel their abundant energy into a creative outlet, just as Max did.  The Monkey King may have been quite the  pranster, but his son Max decides to put his energy into becoming a successful Jianzi competitor.

As you read this book, you will notice that the characters are diverse, by which I mean they are not all Chinese and they are not all animals.  It is an interesting approach to representing different characters in a picture book, human, animal and zodiac.

There is a brief explanation of the zodiac in Chinese culture at the front of the book and at the back of the book is a description of the traits people born in the Year of the Monkey possess.  Don't know if your sign is the Monkey?  The different years are listed, too.  My sign is not the Monkey, but my sister's is (and may I say, that explains a lot about her). 

The Year of the Monkey is the eleventh book in Oliver Chin's zodiac series and the first one that is written in both English and simplified Chinese characters.  Since I don't know Chinese, I sent a page to my Kiddo to read.  I like to know that in a bilingual book, the are the same.  Now she wants the whole book to read.  I hope you do, too.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Immedium

祝好运、健康、佳肴伴你度过一个快乐新年

Good Luck, Good Health, Good Cheer and Pass a Happy New Year

Sam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chinn, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu

Gung Hay Fat Choi

Tomorrow, February 15th, is the last day of Chinese New Year and I thought I would end this year's celebrations with a book that I thought would be relevant for today's world.

In Sam and the Lucky Money, Sam has been give four red envelopes, one from each of his grandparents, each one containing &1.00.  Sam thinks he is quite rich with his $4.00 and is especially happy because this year, his mom said he can buy anything he wants with his fortune.

On the morning of the big New Year parade, Sam and his mom go shopping for all the things they will need to celebrate the New Year at home.  The streets are crowded and busy with people out doing the same things as Sam and mom.  Restless when his mother stops at the vegetable store, Sam started kicking at some piles of red paper nearby.  Suddenly he hears a yelp and he discovers a homeless Chinese man wearing dirty clothes and no shoes or socks despite the cold weather.

But the man is soon forgotten because the next stop is the bakery and Sam thinks about what he can buy there with his Lucky Money - a nice fresh bun,  or maybe a sweet egg tart or some coconut pastries (which happen to be my favorites).  Suddenly there is a noise outside announcing the approach of the colorful, giant Lion doing his dance.  Caught up in the excitement, Sam forgets about the bakery.

After the Lion dance, Sam and his mom go into a new toy store, but everything Sam looks at cost more than $4.00.  Angry and disappointed, Sam complained to his mom about his Lucky Money.  Mom tells him he must learn to appreciate the gifts he is given.  But, the bright sunny day has become overcast and no longer fun.  Along the way, Sam spies the homeless man once again and as his mom hands the man a quarter, Sam sees how grateful he is for the small gift she has given him and Sam suddenly knows exactly what to do with is Lucky Money.  It won't buy shoes, but it will buy socks.

Sam and the Lucky Money is is a wonderful read aloud for kids.  It is not so much about teaching young readers about the Lunar New Year, as it is about helping them to understand the importance of being thankful for what they have.  Besides gratitude, Sam also learns about compassion and generosity.  The nice part about all that is it comes in the form of a lovely story that young readers will no doubt enjoy.

The beautiful realistic illustrations in Sam and the Lucky Money were by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu in bright colorful watercolors, giving the book a feeling of celebration.

This book is recommended for readers age 5+
This book was purchased for my personal library.

The publisher, Lee & Low, offer a wonderful Teacher's Guide for Sam and the Lucky Money complete with age appropriate activities.

祝好运、健康、佳肴伴你度过一个快乐新年

Good Luck, Good Health, Good Cheer and Pass a Happy New Year

Two of my favorite Chinese New Year Picture Books - My First Chinese New Year by Karen Katz and Chinatown by William Low

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival and Lunar New Year, is celebrated for 15 days.  The dates of the New Year are figured out each year using the lunar calendar.  Each month in the lunar calendar begins on a new moon, the darkest day of the month.  Chinese New Year begins on the second new moon after the Winter Solstice and ends on the next full moon, the brightest night of the month.  It is a time for honoring ancestors and deities, and there are certain traditions that are followed every year.

What are these traditions?  You can learn all about them in My First Chinese New Year written and illustrated by Karen Katz.

In this charming picture book for very young readers, a little girl explains each tradition as she and her family get ready to celebrate the New Year.  Fist they decorate the walls with bright red cut papers.  Red is the color of luck in China.

Next, she sweeps away any bad luck for the previous year.  Tiny blossoms are bought to remind us that things grow again.  Ancestors are honored with bowls of oranges and tangerines for luck and money.

Everything is new - new clothes, new haircut, a fresh beginning.  And on New Year's Eve, the whole family gets together to enjoy traditional New Year's food.  Then, all the children receive pretty little red envelopes containing lucky money.

And finally, the big Chinese New Year parade, with music and dancing, and the guest of honor - a big, long, colorful Dragon for luck.

Katz has illustrated My First Chinese New Year in the very bright colors associated with the New Year and using patterns with a very nice Chinese folk art feel to them.

I loved this book, all the more since much of what goes on are traditions I have become more and more familiar with.  And I am sure that you will enjoy learning about Chinese New Year, too.  Though this book is designed for preschool kids, it is a perfect book for kids in kindergarten through 2nd grade because it gives so many good ideas for activities - making lucky money envelopes, red lanterns for the Lantern Festival on the last day of the New Year celebrations.  Instructions for all kinds of arts and crafts can be found on Chinese New Year Crafts for Children on Pinterest.

Chinatown written and illustrated by William Low is a book I always enjoy reading.  When my Kiddo was young, she wanted to go to Chinatown in lower Manhattan.  So, we got on the subway one Saturday morning and made out way there.  It was kind of a drizzly day, but the cheerful colors, the delicious smells, and the friendly merchants made us forget about that.  And every time I read Chinatown, I think about that day and how much fun we had.

Chinatown about a boy and his grandmother who live there and who go out for a walk together every morning and he tells the reader about all the sights he sees as they go along.  There is the Tai Chi class in the park, the cobbler, who can make old shoes look like new ones, and delivery trucks making there rounds.

The sights and smells of restaurants and the musty herbal shop, where you can get the things needed for a nice winter medicinal soup, are all part of their routine.  And on Saturdays, there are King Fu lessons.

But most special of all is Chinese New Year.  Even with crowds of people, the boy and grandmother find good places to watch as the colorful parade pass by them, until finally the favorite lion comes along, doing its traditional lion dance.  "GUNG HAY FAT CHOY" the boy and this grandmother say to each other, Happy Chinese New year!

Low's lovely detailed colorful illustrations are done in oil paints on board to capture the wonderful tradition sights one might find in any of the different Chinatowns in various American cities.  If you are lucky enough to live near a Chinatown, it is a wonderful place to visit.  And a visit for Chinese New Year is even more special.  Of course, you might want to read and enjoy Low's book before and after going with your children as I did with my Kiddo.

My First Chinese New Year is recommended for readers age 3+
Chinatown is recommended for readers age 5+
Both books were borrowed from the children's library at Bank Street School

祝好运、健康、佳肴伴你度过一个快乐新年

Good Luck, Good Health, Good Cheer and Pass a Happy New Year

The New Year Dragon Dilemma by Ron Roy (an A to Z Mysteries Super Edition #5), illustrated by John Steven Gurney

It is their February school break and Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose are lucky enough to be in San Francisco with Dink's father, Mr. Duncan.  And best of all, it is the beginning of Chinese New Year.  Since Mr. Duncan has business to take care of, he has hired a young college student to take the kids sightseeing.  Holden Wong comes complete with a three-wheeled buggy to pedal the kids around San Francisco.

First up is a trip the the famous San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf to see the sights there, especially the sea lions that live on some floating wooden docks at Pier 39.  Holden warned Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose about their noise and especially their smell, and he wasn't kidding.  Then, after going through the aquarium to see the sharks, Josh suggests they get something to eat.

In the snack bar, Dink finds himself sitting near a large, bald man with an M tatooed on each hand.  The man was looking at a drawing on a laptop and talking on a cell phone.  Dink, who wanted to be a writer was in the habit of jotting down descriptions of other people, and as he was doing that, he heard the man say "The second tire works."  When he leaves, he gives Dink a dirty look.

After their day at the wharf, Holden took the kids to the big Chinese New Year parade.  Holden is really excited about the Miss Chinatown float because his girlfriend Lily Chen might be the girl picked to be Miss Chinatown and where the crown with a large, genuine ruby in it.  The fireworks and the parade are great fun, particularly the colorful, giant dancing dragon.  Two of the dragon's carriers ran out from under it and put the heads in the dragon's mouth to prove the dragon is happy.  But the third carrier ran off in the opposit direction and disappeared.  Holden and the kids were haveing so much fun, their barely noticed that.

Next, is the Miss Chinatown float made to look like a giant swan with Miss Chinatown in the middle, tossing candy at the crowd.  Suddenly, there are more fireworks and while everyone is looking up, Miss Chinatown disappears.  The parade comes to a stop, Holden, Josh, Dink and Ruth Rose all clamor on to the float to see what happened.  All they see in the box Miss Chinatown was standing on, but Dink notices a piece of black sticking out from under it and when they lift it up, sure enough, they find Miss Chinatown, Lily Chen, but her crown with the valuable ruby is missing.

And before they know it, both Holden and Lily are arrested for the theft.  Will Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose be able to solve this crime and get their new friends out of jail?

I wasn't familiar with this series, but I found The New Year Dragon Dilemma to be a pretty interesting mystery.  It is part of a series, but the Super Editions have more pages than the regular A to Z Mysteries.  They are nice chapter books aimed at readers who have outgrown the orginial series.

The kids, Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose, are nine years old, are still in elementary school, and are junior detectives.  Dink wants to be a writer and Josh wants to be an artist, so their skills come in handy for solving the mystery of the missing ruby.  Ruth Rose is the brainy, logical one and can put together all the clues that they discover.

I read The New Year Dragon Dilemma because Chinese New Year begins this week on January 31st  and I was interested in books for young readers that would introduce them to some of the cultural events that take place during 15 days of celebration.  And this book did give some nice background about the big dragon parade that is the culmination of Chinese New Year in San Francisco.

The book also gave some interesting information about the famous Fisherman's Wharf, which was nice, but then I discovered that you can see the sea lions that live there on a Sea Lion Web Cam - all the fun. none of the smell.  Be sure it is daylight in San Francisco, otherwise it is too dark to see them.

The original series contained 26 books based on the alphabet, but with no more letters, the Super Edition was born.  And it has proven to be a fun book, the mystery isn't difficult or scary and there is a bonus.  It should have great appeal to young and reluctant readers.  Embedded somewhere in each of the 26 black and white illustrations is a letter.  As kids find them, they can put them together to spell out a message.  A nice way to sharpen observation skills, like the ones used by the kids in the book.

This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was purchased for my personal library

祝好运、健康、佳肴伴你度过一个快乐新年

Good Luck, Good Health, Good Cheer and Pass a Happy New Year