Here are some additional picture books relating to Chinese New Year, which will provide you and your child with plenty of opportunities to make comparisons with other children's books and connect the dots with so many other subjects:
- The Runaway Rice Cake
, by Ying Chang Compestine. LOVE this one because it will complement just about any other picture book relating to Chinese New Year, but also can be used as a springboard to a study of the many books which are similar to The Gingerbread Boy. The culinary aspect of this celebration is fully explained at the end of the book, as are two different recipes for the traditional New Year's Cake. This picture book will capture the interest of children of all ages, but is most appropriate for the 4 to 8 age range.
- The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac
, by Dawn Casey. A more upbeat retelling of the traditional tale, especially for younger readers (between the ages of 4 and 8). Children will enjoy comparing it with Ed Young's Cat and Rat and/or other versions of the story.
I'm still waiting for the following picture books, each of which sounds very promising:
- Story of the Chinese Zodiac: English Chinese
, by Monica Chang. I have high expectations for this bilingual version, and can't wait to get my hands on it!
- Dragon Dance: A Chinese New Year LTF: A Chinese New Year Lift-the-Flap Book (Lift-the-Flap, Puffin)
, by Joan Holub. It sounds perfect for ages 3 through 7.
- This Next New Year
, by Janet S. Wong. Looks like another great selection for children between the ages of 3 and 7!
- The Year of the Tiger: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac
, by Oliver Chin. Since 2010 is the year of the tiger, I have high hopes for this one! There are five books in the series so far, and it sounds like young children will really enjoy them (especially once they figure out what year of the Chinese zodiac they were born in).
That's it for now! I will be writing more detailed posts next week about some of these books, and how you can connect them with other subjects (even the Olympics).
In case you missed my first two posts relating to this subject, here they are:
I'll also be continuing my series about The One Book We All Should Read over the next few weeks. I was supposed to be blogging less, but these topics just pulled me right back in!
Have a wonderful weekend.
