Chloe's Lunar New Year /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Lily LaMotte, brilliant author of the graphic novel Measuring Up, an ALA Top Ten, has written her debut picture book about a special Lunar New Year feast. Perfect for fans of Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin and I Am Golden by Eva Chen.

"Themes of love and family underlie the snappy text." --Kirkus

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.

Lily LaMotte and Michelle Lee have created a tender, warm, and uplifting holiday story about tradition and the importance of being with those you love.

The backmatter contains educational facts about the Lunar New Year celebration in Taiwan and a fun recipe for a yummy fortune cake!

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 3--Chloe, her smaller brother, and her parents prepare for the annual Lunar New Year celebration. There're cleaning, new shoes, and an emphasis on blending Taiwanese classics like good-luck fish, turnip cake, and sticky fortune cakes with American apple pie. Red envelopes and a family reunion--including an uncle with red hair and beard--are also key parts of the festival. Virtues of helping, sharing, and respecting tradition subtly appear. There are many references to a beloved grandmother (A-má), prominent in the endpaper family photos, for whom the hot pot is made and who is expected at the reunion. In a poignant surprise, A-má is present, but only in cherished family memories and the photo honored on the family altar. The soft, simple but realistic watercolors show some settings, but often focus on the characters, who have sweet expressions and Western dress. Dispensing with the external drama of the dragon, parade, or noisy firecrackers, this warm book depicts family as central. Back matter includes an author's note and a recipe for fortune cake. VERDICT LaMotte's success with Measuring Up looks likely to extend to younger readers here.--Patricia D. Lothrop

Booklist Review

This inviting picture book introduces children to Lunar New Year as celebrated in a Taiwanese American household. A young girl named Chloe guides Noah, her little brother, through the preparations. They help their parents fix traditional and new favorite foods for the holiday dinner. As the day progresses from discarding worn-out shoes to setting the table for a family reunion feast, several references are made to A-má, the children's grandmother. Their aunt and uncle arrive for the evening's festivities. After dinner, Noah watches as Chloe adds a slice of pie to an area with a framed photo, an incense stick, and mementos, saying, "Happy reunion dinner, A-má." The family gathers to play a board game together. References to A-má are brief and left to the reader for interpretation. The author's note refers to Lunar New Year as "the most important holiday of the year in many Asian countries," before focusing on Taiwanese celebrations. Created with watercolor, colored pencil, and digital media, the artwork reflects the cordial tone of the narrative in depicting Chloe's happy family gathering.

Kirkus Book Review

An Asian American family celebrates a traditional holiday. Chloe's family is getting ready for Lunar New Year: cleaning their house, tossing old shoes, and trying on new ones to usher in good fortune. The excitement is palpable as Chloe looks forward to the reunion dinner with the whole family, including A-má (grandma). Chloe and little sibling Noah set the table, putting good-luck oranges into a bowl, and help prepare festive dishes: turnip cakes fried golden brown, a whole fish symbolizing plenty, and A-má's favorite, hot pot. For dessert, a homemade apple pie goes into the oven. As the relatives arrive, we witness an extended family gathering that is a slice of contemporary American life, highlighting intergenerational connections and honoring ancestors. Themes of love and family underlie the snappy text. The spare drawings are most engaging on the endpapers featuring portraits in a family album. The backmatter includes a recipe for Fortune Cake ("huat kué" in Taiwanese) and describes the importance of traditional Asian new year celebrations. In the author's note, LaMotte discusses some of the foods served at Lunar New Year in Taiwan and explains how, as she was growing up, her family incorporated both American and Taiwanese traditions. Chloe's Uncle Tony is White, with light-colored hair; everyone else presents as Asian. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A sentimental and sweet story. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.