Growing up, Lunar New Year meant sweet lotus seeds and coconut strips, a big family meal, and my mom visiting my elementary school classroom to teach about the holiday. At some point, I learned the story of the Chinese zodiac animals and which zodiac animal each member of my family was. At another point, I learned that it wasn’t just Chinese who celebrated the Lunar New Year. I remember reading Demi’s beautiful books of Chinese folk tales filled with red and gold. But I don’t remember ever reading a book specifically about LNY. They may have existed, who knows. Today, thankfully, such books are easier to find. A librarian at the New York Public Library has compiled a great list of Lunar New Year books, including Grace Lin’s Bringing in the New Year and Pegi Deitz Shea and Cynthia Weill’s Ten Mice for Tet.
What are your favorites?
