A really informative book about Lunar New Year. I like the way the book explains to the reader all the different traditions surrounding Lunar New Year, and the beliefs behind them. There are then some fact pages and several interactive activities at the back of the book - recipes, crafts, riddles and a quiz.

My only slight concern is that the mention of lanterns doesn't include the widespread thinking that these are dangerous to wildlife: this feels like a missed opportunity.

My workplace has an on-site nursery, and part of my job is to maintain a library collection for them to use with the children. So I am always on the lookout for new resources, especially books about cultures, festivals and celebrations from around the world. This gorgeous book ticks all the boxes! It is easy to read, beautifully illustrated, and really informative and interesting.
We follow Ling, her sister, Mei, and their family, as they prepare for Lunar New Year, with Ling explaining the importance of their traditions. Their story is followed by an information and activity section, in which the reader is shown how they can take part in some of these traditions - cooking dumplings, making money envelopes, constructing riddles, etc. I particularly liked this aspect of the book, and felt the activities would be fun to complete with my children.

Thank you to Netgalley & Quarto Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to review this beautiful book.

Lunar New Year takes a fascinating look at Ling and her family’s Chinese New Year celebrations. From cleaning the house to the Lantern Festival we learn about the preparations, the celebrations and the symbolism behind the various traditions.

Ling and her sister, Mei, help clean the house, paint honey on the Kitchen God’s lips and pick fresh flowers. On New Year’s Eve they honour their ancestors with special meals and incense before sitting down to a big family dinner. On New Year’s Day they put on their new clothes and visit friends and relatives with gifts. The Lunar New Year culminates with the Lantern Festival.

It’s fascinating to learn the meaning behind the traditions, the reasons that particular colours are used and the meaning behind the food they eat on New Year’s Eve. The easy to understand text is complemented by bold, colourful illustrations which bring the family’s preparations to life. We love the white background used for the days before New Year which give way to more sumptuous background colours for the celebrations.

The pages at the back of the book add to the learning with quizzes, a recipe and information about the Lunar Calendar and the Chinese Zodiac. It's a great book to introduce children to Chinese New Year festivities and the significance and meanings behind the traditions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy

I enjoyed this book because as a person who is not Chinese, I don't really know much about Lunar New Year. So even as an adult, this book for children taught me some new facts I didn't know. Therefore, I think both adults and children could get something out of this story and enjoy it no matter what age you are.

Lunar New Year, written by Natasha Yim and illustrated by Jingting Wang, is a beautifully informative story which follows Ling and his family as they prepare for, and celebrate, the lunar new year. It’s also includes information about the lunar calendar and the Chinese zodiac, riddle activities, a recipe to cook your own dumplings, instructions to craft a lucky envelope, information about how the lunar new year is celebrated around the world, and a quiz with answers.
Lunar New Year is a brilliant book featuring beautiful vibrant images. It is a perfect book to teach children about this very important time of year and I would recommend it for children aged 4-8 years old.

Don't you just love how books always offer new perspectives, worlds or knowledge? I celebrate the Lunar New Year but never knew about painting honey on the statue's lips.

I love how detailed this children's book is while still being an engaging and easy read. The illustrations are delightful and the ones of food had me drooling. I also appreciate the inclusivity because some still think it's the same thing everywhere.

Very enjoyable and informative!

Very cute and thorough intro to Lunar Year Year customs and traditions for kids - I even learned some things too. I especially like the illustrations and explanations for all the food that is eaten around this time - the food spread is amazing.

At the end of the book, there are more in-depth history lessons and activities for kids to complete with their parents, including explanation for the zodiac, steps on making dumplings and creating their own red envelopes.

The best part is how inclusive this book is - it also covers both Cantonese and Mandarin ways of wishing someone new year as well as Korean, Vietnamese, and Filipino food and traditions.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are independently my own.

Rituals, food, fireworks, flying kites, and then the Lantern Festival! There is a calendar, Chinese zodiac, riddles, and recipes. It even shows how it is really the same festival in different Asian countries.
The illustrations by Jingting Wang are intricate, brilliantly colorful, and FUN!
Well suited for reading WITH someone any age from 5 and up including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected eGalley on Adobe Digital Editions from Quarto Publishing Group – words & pictures | words & pictures via NetGalley. Thank you!
#LunarNewYear #CelebrationsAndFestivals by Natasha Yim and Jingting Wang Illustrator @CBCBook @Illustrated #NetGalley @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk @childrensbookcouncil @CBCBook @QuartoPublishingGroup @WordsAndPictures #ChineseCulture #ChineseCustoms #Activities

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5 stars.

Received for review: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I have been looking to read books about other cultures and holidays, so I was excited to read this one. This story is narrated by a little Chinese girl who explains how they prepare for the Lunar New Year and how they celebrate. The illustrations were vibrant and simple. The back of the book also includes some fun activity ideas for children to do if they want to join in with the celebration.

The writing was simple and accessible but enjoyable.

Love,

Danica Page

Bright colors help create the festive mood as the lunar new year and traditions associated with it are explained in an easy to understand way.

I read a digital advanced readers copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley.

This is a fun way to learn about Chinese New Year. For the mix children, or the curious foreigner, or simply people who want to know more about the tradition, the origin of the tradition, told in simple way by Ling and her family, this book is for you. Easy to understand and a good way of learning more about Chinese culture, this book gives you insight why the festival lasts for 15 days.

This is a gorgeous children's book, which is about a girl called Ling who is celebrating the Chinese New Year festival with her family and friends. In the book, we learn that Lunar New Year is a 15 day holiday, which starts by Ling and her family cleaning their home. They then pick flowers to place around their house. Ling's Dad paints Chinese poems, which he hangs on their front door, and Ling makes cuttings of the character Fu, to hang on the windows and front door. They then go shopping for clothes, food and lanterns. On New Year's Eve, they honor their ancestors, they burn specific things that are made from paper, and they all eat a special reunion meal together with others. On New Year's Day, they wear new clothes and they visit their family and friends, bringing them gifts. Firecrackers are let off in the streets to scare away bad spirits, and then there is a New Year Parade, with lots of dancers and music. After New Year, Ling likes to fly her kite, and then they all take part in a Lantern festival.

As well as learning all of that wonderful information in the book, we also learn about the Lunar Calendar and the Chinese Zodiac, some riddles, a dumplings recipe, how to make a lucky envelope, how others around the world celebrate Lunar New Year, and there is also a Quiz at the end of the book.

This is an amazing book, with a lot of information in it. It has beautiful graphics too. My daughter and I loved the book a lot, and we recommend it highly, as we found it really interesting!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Lunar New Year is a beautifully illustrated picture book for children teaching them all about the Lunar New Year. A little Chinese girl takes the reader through everything they do to celebrate from how they prepare to the celebration itself. I loved the bright illustrations, which give the reader a good sense of what is happening throughout the book. I enjoyed that this wasn't heavy on religious beliefs or opinion, making it good for everyone to access and learn through without being seen as influential. The back of the book includes some fun activity ideas for children to do if they want to join in with the celebration.

4.5 ⭐
This is a great picture book to introduce you to the Lunar new year. I really enjoyed learning about it through the eyes of a child and her family preparing for the holidays.
Apart from all those preparation, way of celebrating this book also give informations, history, beliefs, myth and traditions about lunar new year.
In the last part, it has some activities like games, riddles and recipes.
Jingting Wang's cute, colorful amazing illustrations are perfect for the lunar new year theme. 😍😍
The fact I love most about this book is - it titled as & also always described as lunar new year, not as Chinese New Year. Because this event is also celebrated in other places too like Korea, Vietnam, Philippines. This book also includes them in the last part which I really appreciate. 😊
[ Thank you NetGalley and Quarto publishing group for the opportunity to read this book ]

This is one of the better books I've read centering around the new year's celebrations. The author first tells a story about a family, and how they enjoy all the activities involved with that busy time of year. Then follows a few pages of riddles, crafts, and recipes. Throughout it all, Jingting Wang's bold and colorful illustrations delight the reader. This would make a great addition to a school or personal library.

I really enjoyed learning about Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year) through the eyes of a child and her family preparing for the holiday. It was exquisitely illustrated with lots of bold and beautiful colors. The illustrations complemented the text perfectly. I also enjoyed the extra activities (games, riddles, and even a cooking lesson!) included at the end of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

A celebratory, inclusive and educational exploration of Lunar New Year for both children that celebrate and children who want to understand and appreciate their peers who do. Beautifully illustrated, with a fun activities section that delves into more detail about how the festival is celebrated in China and beyond. Activities such as guess the riddle, make your own red envelope and a recipe to make delicious Lunar New Year 'pot sticker' dumplings.

Pros: I lived in Singapore as a child and have fond memories of celebrating the Lunar New Year with lion and dragon dances and red packets. This book brought back those memories but also taught me about the traditions behind the celebrations that I did not know. I loved the bright, colorful illustrations in this book. My favorite part of this book was the activities included at the end!

Cons: None!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – words & pictures for the opportunity to read this book.

Lunar New Year is a fantastic picture book about the lunar new year. It has a perfect balance of information without being too information or fact-heavy. The pictures are beautiful and add so much understanding and depth to the writing. I love the extra activities and depth at the end as well. This is a must-have in any kid's or school's picture book collection. I even think it would be a fantastic addition to our high school library to introduce students to the holiday. Highly, highly recommend! It's definitely the best book on the lunar new year I've read yet and one of the best on any holiday that I've read.

This nonfiction book is geared towards elementary-aged kids, and it has simple text and bright, beautiful illustrations, introducing common Lunar New Year traditions from the perspective of a young Chinese girl. Throughout the book, this fictional character explains to the reader about how her family prepares for and celebrates Lunar New Year, and I liked the chatty style.

Some parents will want to know that this book includes vague references to "the gods" without providing context to really explain the main character's religion, or how it more deeply relates to Lunar New Year. I would have liked a little more context here, and also think it would have been nice if the author had included details about how people of different faiths or no religious background adapt aspects of this holiday.

Although the main character is Chinese, the author also includes some details about how other Asian cultures celebrate this holiday. There is even more information summarized at the end, and the author includes ideas for different activities that readers can do to celebrate this holiday.