This Next New Year

A young Chinese-Korean boy anticipates the Lunar New Year with determination and hope. He reflects on the past year while preparing for new beginnings with his family. The story follows customs and traditions surrounding the Lunar New Year celebration, including cleaning the house, getting haircuts, and making wishes. Through the boy's perspective, readers experience the blend of his American life with his Chinese and Korean heritage. The narrative captures themes of fresh starts, cultural identity, and the universal desire to improve oneself. The book serves as a window into Lunar New Year traditions while exploring how children process past disappointments and maintain optimism for the future.

Readers appreciate how this picture book portrays Chinese and Korean New Year traditions through a child's perspective. Parents note it helps explain cultural celebrations to young children and builds anticipation for the holiday. Liked: - Simple, relatable narrative voice - Depicts hope and fresh starts - Cultural details woven naturally into story - Reinforces theme of second chances - Illustrations show authentic family dynamics Disliked: - Some found the story too brief - Limited exploration of specific traditions - A few readers wanted more festive imagery Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (102 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (12 ratings) One teacher commented: "My students connect with the main character's determination to try again." A parent noted: "The book helped my children understand why we clean the house before New Year." BookPage calls it "an accessible introduction to cultural New Year practices that avoids stereotypes while maintaining authenticity."

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A New Year's Reunion by Yu Li-Qiong A young girl's father returns home from his construction job for Chinese New Year, showing the connection between family and cultural traditions.

Dragon Dance: A Chinese New Year Lift-the-Flap Book by Joan Holub Children participate in traditional Lunar New Year activities from hanging decorations to receiving red envelopes.

🎊 Author Janet Wong was a corporate lawyer before becoming a children's book writer, making a dramatic career change to follow her passion for writing 🌏 The book explores Chinese and Korean New Year traditions through the eyes of a young Chinese-Korean American boy, reflecting Wong's own mixed heritage 🎋 Unlike the Western New Year on January 1st, Chinese New Year's date changes annually based on the lunar calendar, typically falling between January 21 and February 20 ✨ Many of the customs mentioned in the book, like cleaning the house and getting haircuts before the New Year, are authentic traditions practiced by millions of people across Asia 🔮 The book's themes of hope and fresh starts reflect the actual meaning of Chinese New Year, which is considered a time for new beginnings and letting go of past misfortunes