Lunar New Year Around the World

Join a tour of the Lunar New Year as children from China, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, America and the United Kingdom share their celebrations with you.

Every country or major city’s child introduces the way they celebrate the Lunar New Year, describing food and the meanings behind it, traditions, celebrations and family activities. Facts are presented in short readable paragraphs which introduce legends and the animals of the Chinese Zodiac.

This book would make a good introduction to the Lunar New Year and could be used in the classroom to discuss the common themes in each celebration and compare with other celebrations we have in New Zealand.

From the bright purple and red with embossed gold cover through every page of colourful illustrations there is plenty to stimulate discussion amongst tamariki of all ages.

However while there are a lot of ideas introduced, the book does not retell the legends which leads to the opportunity for students to do further research. I would use this book with students to introduce the topic and as a springboard for further research. It is also an enjoyable story to just read for enjoyment or as a prompt for man art activities.

Title: Lunar New Year Around the World

Author: Amanda Li

Illustrator: Angela Chung

Publisher: Studio Press

ISBN: 978-1-80078-279-2

RRP:(recommended retail price) $16.99

Format: Paperback

Date of Publication: January 2023

Ages:(Age range or level that the book is suitable for) Primary / Intermediate

Themes: Lunar New Year

Do you have any advisory warnings for this book: No

Would this book work as a read aloud? Yes

Is there a particular part of the country that it's set in? No

Reviewer: Ange Birks, Classroom Teacher, Ohinewai School, North Waikato

How are you recommending this book? Recommended

What is the book's opening sentence? Hi, I'm Mei Lin and I'm from Beijing, China.

You can buy this book here.