Celebrating the story of Chinese New Year

Understanding all cultures and their values has become essential to our next generation. For two joyous weeks red is all around as we see the colourful celebration of the Chinese New Year. The colour represents luck and happiness. Children receive money wrapped in red paper, while friends and loved ones exchange poems written on red paper. The Chinese New Year is also an opportunity to remember ancestors, and to wish peace and happiness to friends and family. The holiday ends with the Festival of Lanterns, as many large communities stage the famous Dragon Dance. Fireworks, parades, lanterns, presents, and feasts: these are some of the joys experienced by all who observe Chinese New Year.

Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Chinese New Year: With Fireworks, Dragons, and Lanterns by Carolyn Otto.

Celebrate Chinese New Year is the latest, timely addition to National Geographic’s popular Holidays Around the World series. With 25 colourful images and a simple, educational text, the book is a lively invitation to revel in this child-friendly, national and international holiday. Carolyn Otto brings the historical and cultural aspects of the Chinese New Year into focus, and young readers experience the full flavour of an event celebrated by over a billion people in China, and countless others worldwide.

Dragon Dance: a Chinese New Year byJoan Holub

Introduce the customs of Chinese New Year to even the youngest readers with this festive new lift-the-flap book. Shopping at the outdoor market for fresh flowers, eating New Year’s dinner with the whole family, receiving red envelopes from Grandma and Grandpa, and best of all-watching the spectacular Chinese New Year’s parade! A pure delight.

Ms. Frizzle’s Adventures: Imperial China by Joanna Cole

Young readers fare taken on a journey rom present day Chinese New Year celebrations to the rice fields and palaces of Imperial China. In this instalment Ms.Frizzle explores China, explains the concept of taxes and covers many of the inventions that came from the country.

Chinese Zodiac Animals by Sanmu Tang

Children will love to learn all about their Chinese zodiac animal with this great multicultural book.

Which Chinese zodiac animal are you? A clever rat? A brave tiger? A hardworking ox? Or an energetic dragon?

Chinese Zodiac Animals explains the traits of each animal sign and what luck the future might hold for the person born under that sign. Chinese Zodiac Animals is a fun and informative way to learn about an important part of Chinese traditional culture.

Celebrating Chinese New Year: An Activity Book by Hingman Chan

Celebrating Chinese New Year is a fun-filled craft, activity and resource book for the Chinese New Year. In addition to basic facts and history of the Chinese New Year, you can make a dragon parade, a paper lantern, and red lucky envelopes following simple directions and examples in this activity book. You will also have fun learning about your Chinese Zodiac signs. This book is an excellent resource for parents and teachers with children ages 5 to 10. A must for celebrating Chinese New Year.

Gong xi fa cai! (Or Kung hei fat choy! if you’re speaking Cantonese.) Welcome to the year of the fire monkey.