I'm still in the process of sorting through some of the many picture books relating to Chinese New Year. I can't possibly look at them all because there are so many, so I thought I'd just give you the heads-up about a few of the ones I love the most (so far).
Today, it's just a partial list, and over the next week I'll give more details about some of these books. That way, you can seek them out ahead of time. My local library didn't have most of these, so I had to wait a few days to have them sent from other libraries in my area. I'm still waiting for more, so I'll be doing a part 2 of this post shortly.
Here's the list:
- The Dancing Dragon
, by Marcia Vaughan. Great for preschoolers - contains fold-out dragon.
- Happy New Year! / Kung-Hsi Fa-Ts'ai!
, by Demi. LOVE this one - beautiful illustrations with vibrant colors; a great introduction for ages 4 to 8.
- Chinese New Year (Celebrations in My World)
, by Carrie Gleason. Another great photographic nonfiction book - makes a nice supplementary resource for ages 7 to 10.
- The Rooster's Antlers: A Story of the Chinese Zodiac
, by Eric A. Kimmel. One of many legends of the Chinese zodiac, which will prompt discussion of character traits. Note: Dragon is not so nice in this one! It's most appropriate for ages 7 to 10.
- Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac (An Owlet Book)
, by Ed Young. Very unique charcoal illustrations give this picture book a darker and more abstract feel than The Rooster's Antlers, but its contrast will prompt much thought and discussion among 7 to 10 year olds.
- Sam and the Lucky Money
, by Karen Chinn. LOVE this one too. Gorgeous watercolors and a heartwarming story, plus a math component....bliss!
If you have a favorite children's book relating to the Chinese New Year, please feel free to share it with us! Also, if you're planning to write a related blog post (art, music, cooking, etc...), please let me know in the comments section. Thanks!
Back to the library I go. Until tomorrow, then...
