Books to Celebrate the Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year is quickly approaching.  There are some great books for kids on this holiday!  Let’s celebrate with books to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

The books below start out for the youngest crowd and move up to our more seasoned readers.

Lunar New Year Books for Kids

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Yum Yum Dim Sum by Amy Wilson Sanger by Amy Wilson Sanger is a board book that introduces young readers to Chinese foods.

I love the Celebrate Your World series.  These board books are really more suitable for older toddlers and preschoolers. Enjoy the Lunar New Year this season.

Happy Chinese New Year! : A Festive Counting Story by Jannie Ho is a fun and playful book for little ones that not only helps with counting but with learning about traditions associated with Chinese New Year.  And, the characters are all from the Chinese zodiac.

Chelsea’s Chinese New Year by Lisa Bullard explores the different customs and foods of the Chinese New Year.

Friends Are Friends, Forever by Dane Liu is really a friendship story and starting over in a new place and having to make new friends.  However, the story starts during Lunar New Year Eve in China where friends and family are prepping for Lunar New Year.  The book even includes directions for making paper snowflakes.

Dragon Dance by Joan Holub is a lift-the-flap book where young readers are introduced to Chinese symbols.

Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin is a story of a Chinese-American family that prepares for the Lunar New Year.

Sam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chinn is the story of a young boy and how he decides to spend his lucky money he received for the Chinese New Year.

Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year by Kate Waters uses photographs to highlight a young boy’s preparation for participating in the New Year’s parade in New York.

Celebrating Chinese Festivals by Sanmu Tang shares information about Chinese customs for the Chinese New Year, Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat festival and more!

A Sweet New Year for Ren by Michelle Sterling is a beautiful celebration of food, family, and celebration.  Ren’s family has gathered to prepare for Lunar New Year.  Ren wants to help make her favorite pineapple cakes.  Recipe included for pineapple cakes.

Tomorrow Is New Year’s Day: Seollal, a Korean Celebration of the Lunar New Year by Aram Kim is a beautiful story of a classmate sharing her family’s tradition to celebrate the new year.

Lin is a young Malaysian boy who dreams of helping prepare the Lunar New Year feast with his aunts and grandmother.  This year, his grandmother invites him into the kitchen and learns all about his family’s culture and the food that is important to them.  Check out Boys Don’t Fry by Kimberly Lee.

The Twelve Animals of the Chinese Zodiac by Vivian Ling and Wang Peng is a bilingual collection of traditional fables.  Told in English and Chinese, learn about seven stories that originated from Chinese culture and five derived from Aseop’s Fables.

The Lucky Red Envelope: A lift-the-flap Lunar New Year Celebration: With over 140 flaps by Vikki Zhang is a beautifully illustrated book with tons of flaps to lift to discover hidden treasures.  Follow a young girl and her family as they prepare for the Lunar New Year events.

Chinese New Year Activity

For more Chinese New Year literacy ideas, check out my Chinese New Year Circle Time Song and Activity.

I love incorporating books into celebrations.  What ideas do you have for celebrating the Lunar New Year?

Check out more of our great book lists on lots of different topics.