First Books, Lasting Foundations: Lunar New Year Books for Little Readers

by Joy Lang

As Lunar New Year approaches, American families in Singapore have a wonderful  opportunity: children can experience the festival firsthand while building foundations in Mandarin and Chinese culture. Looking for picture books to give children language for what they see? Having helped curate Chinese picture books for children under 9 at the National Library, here are some of my favourites across the ages. 

My First Chinese New Year by Karen Katz (ages 0-3): Perfectly sized for small hands, with bright

folk-art illustrations and cheerful text explaining red envelopes, reunion dinners, and lion dances. A classic Karen Katz that invites multiple re-reads.

好忙的除夕(hǎo máng de chú xī) by 翁艺珊 Weng Yi-Shan (ages 4-8): Award-winning Taiwanese picture book about New Year’s Eve preparations, with warmth and whimsy. Beyond simply naming foods or explaining customs, the conversations and family dynamics offer a window into how families actually live and interact. Available in both Traditional and Simplified Chinese (ISBN 978-7-5708-0525-9).

A Sweet New Year for Ren by Michelle Sterling (ages 4-8):  Well-crafted words and delightful pictures offer an Asian-American perspective at a lively pace. This story features pineapple tarts, ubiquitous during the Lunar New Year season in Singapore, Taiwan, and Hokkien-speaking regions.

A New Year’s Reunion/团圆 (tuán yuán) by Yu Li-Qiong (ages 4-8—adults too!): Now considered a children’s classic in China (ISBN 978753325587901) and available in an  English translation. Unlike typical festive books, this explores bittersweet themes of familial love when parents are migrant workers away most of the year. Spring Festival becomes the treasured annual reunion. Nuanced, poignant and New York Times-recognized. 

Lunar New Year by Natasha Yim (ages 6-8): Remarkably comprehensive, with a back section of factual information and activity ideas. A solid resource for researching school projects.

北京的春节 (běi jīng de chūn jiē ) by Lao She (ages 8 and above—great for the learning adult): Celebrated writer Lao She’s classic essay on New Year celebrations in ‘Old Beijing’, beautifully adapted (ISBN 9787559633927). Delicate ink paintings help explain cultural references (like Laba porridge), making classical Chinese accessible for older readers and adult learners.

Other titles: Let’s Celebrate Korean New Year by Michelle Park and Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin offer additional Asian-American perspectives.

Where to find them: the National Library, Kinokuniya, Bras Basah Complex, Shopee—or ask at The American Club Library.

Next issue: How contemporary Chinese picture books reimagine traditional fables with distinctly Asian creativity.

---

AWA member Joy Lang holds an M.Ed. in Chinese Children’s Literature and has worked with libraries, early literacy nonprofits, and picture book competitions. She welcomes questions about bilingual and Chinese picture book recommendations at ttbks1@gmail.com.