Chinese New Year Booklist

Chinese New Year Stories

• Sam and the lucky money —
  By Karen Chinn ; Pictures by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu

  Sam must decide how to spend the lucky money he’s received for Chinese New Year.

• The runaway rice cake —
  By Ying Chang Compestine ; Pictures by Tungwai Chau

  After chasing the special rice cake, Nian Gao, that their mother has made to celebrate the Chinese New Year, three poor brothers share it with an elderly woman and have their generosity richly rewarded.

• The Chinese New Year mystery —
  By Carolyn Keene ; Pictures by Jan Naimo Jones

  Nancy’s class is learning about Chinese culture, and planning to celebrate the Chinese New Year with a special parade with a dragon costume made out of feathers, sequins, gold tassels, and red silk. But right before the big day, the dragon costume disappears!

• Silk Peony, parade dragon —
  By Elizabeth Steckman ; Pictures by Carol Inouye

  How Mrs. Ming’s pet dragon, Silk Peony, becomes the official parade dragon of China.

• Lion dancer : Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year —
  By Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low ; Photographs by Martha Cooper

  Ernie Wong prepares for the Chinese New Year celebrations and his first public performance of the lion dance.

• When the circus came to town —
  By Laurence Yep ; Drawings by Suling Wang

  Ursula lives at a stage coach station in Montana, and she’s the bravest girl in town until she loses her confidence after smallpox leaves her face badly scarred. The new Chinese cook, Ah Sam, helps find herself again, and she finds a way to give him the best Chinese New Year the West has ever seen.

Learning about the Holiday

• Chinese New Year —
  By Catherine Chambers

  Here are the traditions, ceremonies, and foods associated with the celebration of the Chinese New Year.

• Happy New Year! : Kung-hsi fa-ts’ai! —
  By Demi

  Learn the customs, traditions, foods, and lore associated with the celebration of Chinese New Year.

• Celebrating Chinese New Year —
  Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith ; Photographs By Lawrence Migdale

  A San Francisco boy and his family prepare for and enjoy their celebration of the Chinese New Year, their most important holiday.

• Chinatown —
  By William Low

  A boy and his grandmother wind their way through the streets of Chinatown, enjoying all the sights and smells of the Chinese New Year’s Day.

• Chinese New Year —
  By Dianne M. MacMillan

  Learn about the history and customs of Chinese New Year and how it is celebrated in the United States, including with the Golden Dragon Parade.

• Chinese New Year —
  By Sarah Moyse

  Learn more about the history of this festival and some of the preparations that are involved in the fifteen-day celebration.

• Chinese New Year’s dragon —
  By Rachel Sing ; Pictures by Shao Wei Liu —

  Story about a Chinese American girl and her favorite holiday. Encourages awareness and appreciation of Chinese American cultures.

• This next New Year —
  By Janet S. Wong ; Pictures by Yangsook Choi

  A family prepares to celebrate the Lunar New Year and looks forward to the good luck they hope it will bring.