Picture Books to Celebrate Lunar New Year

by Adam Wallace; illustrated by Andy Elkerton

A real, wily dragon winds through streets in China, eluding the traps set by a group of children during the Chinese New Year celebration.

by William Low

Welcome to Chinatown. There is so much to see. People practicing tai-chi, shoe cobblers, rows of herbs, outdoor fish markets, and more. And best of all, when the Lunar New Year begins, there's a New Year's Day parade, complete with a lion dance.

by Junghwa Park

During Korean Lunar New Year, Sohee’s quest to become a big girl by eating tteokguk, a special Korean soup said to make the person who eats it one year older with each bowl, is thwarted by holiday-related chores and silly setbacks.

by Stella Hong

On their way to Grandma's house to celebrate Lunar New Year, a brother and sister, protected and guided by the 12 magical animals of the Zodiac, gather special treats for their big, celebratory family dinner.

by Kimberly Lee; illustrated by Charlene Chua

A young Malaysian boy enthusiastically assists his grandmother prepare their Lunar New Year dinner, all the while learning about the history of their traditional cuisine.

by Natasha Yim; illustrated by Jingting Wang

Join Ling and her family as they celebrate 15 days of Lunar New Year—a time full of careful preparations, delicious food, lanterns, fireworks, and dragon dancing.

by Michelle Sterling; illustrated by Dung Ho

Little Ren looks forward to the preparation for and festivities of Lunar New Year, but she is always too little to help make the delicious pineapple cakes that are her favorite. She watches family members rolling out the dough and loves the mouth-watering smell. Watching and waiting, when will Ren be old enough?

by Flo Leung

In preparation for the Lunar New Year, a little girl and her family fill up the Tray of Togetherness, a special candy box that has eight lucky snacks with special meanings, to share with family and friends."

by Aram Kim

Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, is Mina’s favorite day of the year. Mina can't wait to share the customs of Seollal with all of her friends at school. She will show her classmates her colorful hanbok, demonstrate how to do sebae, and then everyone will make tasty tteokguk in the cooking room. Yum! Her little brother may even join in on the fun…if he can find a way out of his bad mood.

by Katrina Moore; illustrated by Xindi Yan

Daisy, a young Chinese American girl, is excited to be celebrating the Lunar New Year with her Yeh-Yeh in China, but at first she is too grumpy from lack of sleep to enjoy the activities he has planned. Includes recipes for fried Jiao Zi (dumplings) and Eight Treasure Rice.

by Ying-Hwa Hu

Young Mia and Uncle Eddy stroll through Chinatown counting all the enriching cultural items in their community that embody a Chinese American experience. Told in Mandarin and English with soft watercolor illustrations, this joyous story will leave readers hungry for some dim sum!

by Grace Lin

With the Lunar New Year approaching, a Chinese American family comes together to prepare for the traditional celebration by making dumplings, hanging decorations, putting on their costumes, and joining in the parade where fireworks, lion dancers, and a long dragon will bring the city street to life!

by Yu Li-Qiong; illustrated by Zhu Cheng-Liang

Feeling disconnected from the father whose work keeps him from home the rest of the year, Maomao enjoys a Chinese New Year visit marked by such activities as making sticky rice balls, watching a dragon dance, and searching for a hidden lucky coin.

by Rich Lo

A bilingual color concept primer celebrates a rainbow of traditions and objects associated with the Chinese New Year, providing the English and Chinese words for such examples as firecrackers, lucky coins, and sweet peanut puffs. 

by Roseanne Thong; illustrated by Grace Lin

A Chinese American girl provides rhyming descriptions of the great variety of colors she sees around her, from the red of a dragon, firecrackers, and lychees to the brown of her teddy bear.

by Vickie Lee; illustrated by Joey Chou

The adventure-loving Dragon, the carefree Horse, and the artistic Goat are just three of the lucky animals to be found in the Chinese zodiac, rendered here in bright illustrations. Use the wheel on the back cover to help little readers discover who their lucky animal is and how to pronounce its name in Chinese and English.

by Andrea Wang; pictures by Alina Chau

Tong tong! The legendary Nian monster has returned at Chinese New Year. With horns, scales, and wide, wicked jaws, Nian is intent on devouring Shanghai, starting with Xingling! The old tricks to keep him away don't work on Nian anymore, but Xingling is clever. Will her quick thinking be enough to save the city from the Nian Monster?

by Natasha Wing with Lingfeng Ho; illustrated by Amy Wummer

Told in the style of Clement C. Moore's classic tale, it is the night before Lunar New Year, and a little girl is excited for all the celebrations to come, but she is a bit nervous about all of the loud noises at the upcoming Lunar New Year Parade.

by Lily LaMotte; illustrated by Michelle Lee

It's almost Lunar New Year, and Chloe can’t wait to celebrate! But first, Chloe and her family must prepare for the new year. They buy new shoes, lay out good-luck oranges in a bowl, decorate the red envelope, and make a crispy turnip cake. Everyone comes together to cook a fantastic feast, saving a plate for A-má, of course. Chloe enjoys the festive celebration and yummy food, but most of all, she loves spending time with her family.

by Ying Chang Compestine; illustrated by Sebastia Serra

On Chinese New Year's Eve, a poor man who works for the richest businessman in Beijing sends his son to market to trade their last few eggs for a bag of rice, but instead he brings home an empty—but magic—wok that changes their fortunes forever.

by Natasha Yim; illustrated by Grace Zong

In this funny and festive retelling of a favorite fairy tale, Goldy Luck is asked to take a plate of turnip cakes to the neighbors. The Chans aren't home, but that doesn't stop Goldy from trying out their rice porridge, their chairs, and their beds-with disastrous results. But plucky Goldy Luck takes responsibility for her actions and makes a new friend just in time for Chinese New Year.

by Vickie Lee; illustrated by Joey Chou

As Ruby travels to her grandmother's house to bring her a gift for Chinese New Year, she is joined by all of the animals of the zodiac. Includes the legend of the Chinese horoscope and instructions for making a paper lantern, a paper fan, and good luck banners.

adapted from a Chinese legend by Virginia Loh-Hagan; illustrated by Timothy Banks

A retelling of the Nian legend follows the experiences of a young girl who takes action when her village is threatened by a dragon, in a culturally inspired picture book that also explains why the Chinese New Year is celebrated for 15 days.