October 23, 2023
Amid Lunar New Year preparations and celebrations, bespectacled young Gege attempts to give little sister Meimei a handmade present: a crocheted Chinese lion. But every time Gege tries to offer the gift, Meimei is off helping and taking part in the “biggest, yummiest, NOISIEST celebration of the year!” Wang details traditional Spring Festival customs and their meanings, portrayed in Do’s festive illustrations: red paper cutouts decorate the house to “bring happiness and good blessings,” and the lion dance is powerfully loud “to chase away ghosts and evil spirits.” As the red-clad family settles down post-feast, Gege finally delivers the present, to Meimei’s delight. Back matter includes more about Lunar New Year dishes globally and a zodiac animal guide. Ages 5–9.
December 1, 2023
K-Gr 3-The first entry in the "Holidays in our Home" series features an unnamed brother and sister celebrating Lunar New Year. The older brother has crocheted a special dragon as a gift for his meimei (Mandarin for younger sister) and keeps trying to find the right time to give it to her amid the festivities. Traditions such as red envelopes, paying respects to ancestors, fireworks, and the lion dance are all thoroughly explained. The gift-giving plot, while cute, is a thin throughline to the text-heavy work that is mostly focused on explaining the holiday to readers who are encountering it for the first time. Mandarin vocabulary is lightly sprinkled in the text. The brother and sister are cued as Chinese, but the wider community is racially diverse. Back matter includes information about traditional Lunar New Year's foods from around the world, such as Tibetan momo (dumplings) and Vietnamese b�nh chu'ng (rice cakes). There is also a spread on the Chinese zodiac and a general craft idea-but, sadly, no crochet pattern for the dragon. VERDICT Recommended for larger collections or those that need books about Lunar New Year.-Jennifer Rothschild
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