PoPo's Lucky Chinese New Year

When her Chinese grandmother comes to visit, a young Chinese-American girl learns of and participates in the customs and beliefs celebrating an authentic Chinese New Year.

Format List Price Your Price Qty
$16.99 $16.99
$28.99 $28.99
Interest Level Grade 1 - Grade 4
Reading Level Grade 2
Dewey 394.261
Lexile
ATOS Reading Level
Guided Reading Level L
Language English
Publisher Sleeping Bear Press
Available Formats Hardcover (9781585369782), PDF (9781634718868), Hosted ebook (9781634718875)
Copyright 2017
Number of Pages 32
Dimensions 11 x 9
Graphics Full-color illustrations

Kirkus Reviews - PoPo's Lucky Chinese New Year

PoPo helps her granddaughter learn Chinese New Year traditions in this intergenerational celebration of family and culture. When PoPo arrives from China, preparations for Chinese New Year, a holiday that’s like “Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day all bundled together,” begin. Everything, from what one cooks and wears to how one cleans and decorates, is important to this age-old custom. As PoPo explains the symbolism behind each gesture, her Chinese-American granddaughter reacts with an honesty and effort that will captivate readers. The child’s candid responses, both humorous and endearing, make the holiday’s rituals accessible—whether she’s sweeping her baby brother out with the bad luck (before bringing him back in and lovingly rubbing his “big Buddha belly”), greedily eating seconds for a long life, or acting like a cash register, yelling “Cha Ching!” when red envelopes with money are being distributed. Benoit’s pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are extremely appealing. They exude warmth—both in the way she draws her characters and with her palette selection and how she thoughtfully applies her colors. Everything has a softness to it, drawing readers in, until they too feel embraced by the girl who cuddles her baby brother and the grandmother who is passing her heritage on to her kin. With running commentary on common practices included on each spread and an art activity at the end, Loh-Hagen offers a comprehensive idea of what Chinese New Year is about, couched within an authentic Chinese-American experience. One of the best of its genre; attractive and informative, and a must for the growing Chinese New Year shelf. (Picture book. 4-8)

Author: Virginia Loh-Hagan

Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan is an author and educator. She is currently the Director of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Center at San Diego State University and the Co-Executive Director of The Asian American Education Project. She lives in San Diego with her very tall husband and very naughty dogs.

Illustrator: Renné Benoit

Renné Benoit is the illustrator of numerous award winning picture books, including Proud as a Peacock and Brave as a Lion, winner of the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award. Renné lives in Southern Ontario.

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  • How to Make a Chinese Pellet Drum
Author/Illustrator biography
Reviewed
Full-color illustrations