Happy Lunar New Year! To help celebrate Lunar New Year this February 10th, 2024, I’m excited to share some of mai favorite festive read alouds and bookish crafts!

What is Lunar New Year?

Lunar New Year is the beginning of the new year based on the lunar calendar. The lunar calendar is based on cycles of the moon and sun, and is generally 21-51 days behind the Gregorian (internationally-used) solar calendar that begins the New Year on January 1st.

Lunar New Year signals the beginning of a new year, and the beginning of Spring. The date of Lunar New Year changes every year, but it always falls between January 21st and February 20th. In 2024, Lunar New Year falls on February 10th.

What is this year’s Zodiac?

In both the Chinese and Vietnamese zodiacs there are 12 animals. They share 10 of the same zodiac animals (the rat, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig), but differ for the other 2: China honors the rabbit while Vietnam honors the cat, and China honors the ox while Vietnam honors the buffalo.

However this year, both zodiacs are celebrating the year of the DRAGON! The Dragon zodiac symbolizes power, nobleness, honor, luck, and success. However, while the Dragon is considered one of luckiest and most regal zodiac signs, keep in mind that (for all zodiacs) your zodiac birth year is actually considered an unlucky year. According to Chinese mythology, being in your birth year offends the God of Age, and thus can lead to a challenging year.

In fact, the the luckiest Chinese zodiac signs in 2024 are Monkeys, Roosters, and Pigs.

Who celebrates Lunar New Year?

Lunar New Year is celebrated by many Asian countries and other communities around the world, yet it is still commonly referred to as Chinese New Year. Rather than referring to the holiday in general as Chinese New Year, to be inclusive and respectful of all cultures that celebrate, refer to the holiday as Lunar New Year, or use the holiday name associated with each country when appropriate. Here is what Lunar New Year is called in some other countries:

Vietnam celebrates Tết Nguyên Đán (Tết for short)

Korea celebrates Seollal (설날)

China celebrates Chunjie (春节 – in Mandarin)

Mongolia celebrates Tsagaan Sar

Tibet celebrates Losar (Begins February 21, 2023)

How I Celebrate Lunar New Year

I am half-Vietnamese, so I celebrate Tết . One of my favorite Tết traditions is playing the Vietnamese dice game: Bầu cua tôm cá (gourd crab shrimp fish). It’s technically a gambling game, but we play with quarters and it’s all for fun! To play, we place quarters on one of the six images on the game mat. The dealer rolls the dice. If the dice rolls one of the images that we placed our quarters on, the dealer has to double the amount of money we bet!

Another one of my favorite games is Loto, which is Vietnamese Bingo. Whoever gets 5 of their numbers in a row called first, shouts out “Loto!” or “Bingo!” to win.

There is also a tradition where elders give children red envelopes of lucky money called lì xì. The red envelopes symbolize luck and prosperity, but also privacy. Instead of comparing how much money they got, children are encouraged to keep the amount private and regard it as a special gift.

Some of my favorite foods are: Bánh chưng (Vietnamese Square Sticky rice cake), Thịt kho  (Vietnamese Braised Pork with Eggs), and Mứt (Candied Fruits).

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới is how to say *Happy New Year* in Vietnamese.

Books

Below I’m highlighting a collection of Lunar New Year books, including Board Books and Picture Books. In this festive lineup, you’ll find legends of dragons and zodiac tales, colorful glowing lanterns and celebrations of the moon, and festivals of friends and family and feasts galore!

This year, I separated the titles by country represented. For each country, board books (if any) are listed first, followed by picture books. *Something to note: Many of the Lunar New Year books available focus on Chinese New Year, and there is a lack of representation of Lunar New Year celebrated by other countries. Hopefully we will see more representation as more #ownvoices are encouraged to share their stories.*

For the full list and collection of Lunar New Year Favorites: 

Click here for the full list of Lunar New Year titles and links to order.

China

Baby Loves Lunar Phases on Chinese New Year by Ruth Spiro & Irene Chan // Discover the science behind the lunar phases while celebrating Chinese New Year! Explore the lunar calendar, the moon’s orbit, and the reason the moon seems to change shape through adorable illustrations and informative text.

Lucky Lunar Animals by Lacey Benard & Lulu Cheng // Learn about the 12 animals represented in the Chinese Zodiac, and what characteristics are associated with each one. This bilingual board book is available in simplified or traditional Chinese characters.

Celebrating Chinese New Year by Lacey Benard & Lulu Cheng // Learn all about Chinese New Year traditions while also exploring the different names for family members in Chinese. Available in Simplified of Traditional Chinese characters.

A Monster Named Nian by Gwen Sung // Do you know about the mythical beast named Nian? He comes out once a year to wreak havoc! Learn how the villagers saved the day and how Lunar New Year traditions came to be!

It’s Chinese New Year, Curious George! by H. A. Rey & Maria Wen Adcock // Filled with colorful illustrations and a rhyming text that is easy for young readers to follow, this playful tabbed board book, perfect for little hands, is a great introduction to the celebration of Chinese New Year for fans of Curious George. Join Curious George as he celebrates Chinese New Year with his friend Mei and her family! Learns about many of the traditions of the celebration, including cleaning the house, finding red clothes to wear, hanging decorations, enjoying a family feast, and watching the fireworks and dragon dance.

It’s Your Year Baby Dragon by Little Bee Books, Illustrated by Ariel Hsu // Welcome the Year of the Dragon, 2024! Learn all about the characteristics and personality traits of the Dragon Zodiac as you read about Baby Dragon. Baby Dragon is confident, energetic, intelligent, and powerful! This board book is the second addition to the baby zodiac series, following It’s Your Year Baby Rabbit.

Bizzy Bear Chinese New Year by Benji Davies // This interactive board book includes tabs to slide, push, and pull as you join Bizzy Bear and his friends to get ready for Chinese New Year. Use the tabs to set off fireworks, to make the deragon dance, to fill your plate with food, and get dressed in a special New Year outfit.

The Lucky Red Envelope by Vikki Zhang // A big sister is excited to introduce her baby brother to his very first Lunar New Year celebration. Follow her as she makes dumplings, watches a dragon dance, her as the story of the zodiac- you can even open the flaps with the different birth years to see your zodiac sign -and watch her receive her lucky red envelope. This is the most exquisite and immersive Lunar New Year book I have ever read with over 140 lift-the-flaps that show the most intricate little details.

The Great Race by Christopher Corr // Learn how every animal earned its place in the Chinese zodiac. Join the Great Race to see who will come in first and why Cat is not a zodiac animanl (and hates Rat)!

Lunar New Year by Natasha Yim // Join Ling and her family as they celebrate the 15 days of Lunar New Year in this magical first-hand account! The book includes additional materials at the end such as the history of Lunar New Year, The Zodiac Calendar, activities, a dumpling recipe, and a red envelope craft.

Two New Years by Richard Ho // This multicultural family celebrates two New Years: Rosh Hashanah in the fall, and Lunar New Year in the Spring. Join them as they honor the traditions of both holidays, from baking challah and singing together for Rosh Hashanah, to eating dumplings and watching dragon dances for Lunar New Year.

A Sweet New Year for Ren by Michelle Sterling, Illustrated by Dung Ho // A charming and heartwarming story about a young girl named Ren who is excited to celebrate the Lunar New Year with her family. As she prepares for the big holiday, Ren learns about the traditions and customs of the celebration, including the special foods~ especially pineapple cakes~ and decorations that are used to mark the occasion. Includes a recipe for pineapple cakes!

The Tray of Togetherness by Flo Leung // Follow a young girl named Lina as she helps her family prepare for the holiday. As they shop at the market to fill the Tray of Togetherness with 8 special snacks, readers learn about the auspicious meaning behind each treat. Join Lina and her family as they share good wishes with neighbors and friends throughout the day, and then come together to celebrate with a diverse group of family and friends!

Year of the Cat by Richard Ho // The Great Race was used to determine the order of animals in the Chinese Zodiac Calendar. However, what happened to Cat, the one animal who never received a year? Discover Rat’s trickery behind leaving Cat behind, and how Cat has a special surprise waiting for him when he comes to make amends.

I Love Chinese New Year by Eva Wong Nava // Mai-Anne is so excited for Chinese New Year~ and it is even more special when her grandmother, Nai Nai, arrives! The celebration starts with a traditional meal filled with special foods, and then the best part: after dinner Nai Nai tells the story of the Great Race, aka how Chinese New Year began! Join Mai-Anne as she learns about the twelve zodiac animals and their special powers in this special Chinese New Year tale.

Playing with Lanterns by Wang Yage & Zhu Chengliang // Zhao Di and her friends are excited to celebrate Chinese New Year with their paper lanterns in the evening. Every night, until the 15th day of New Year, Zhao Di and her friends will partake in this evening lantern tradition~ experiencing the thrill of their village at nighttime, admiring the beautiful lantern lights and colors, and avoiding the wind and sneaky village boys! Then, after the 15th day, comes their favorite part: it’s time to smash the lanterns!

Friends are Friends Forever by Dane Liu & Lynn Scurfield // It’s a snowy Lunar New Year’s Eve in northeastern China, and it’s Dandan’s last night with her best friend Yueyue. Tomorrow she leaves for America. For the last time, they complete their favorite wintertime tradition: crafting paper-cut snowflakes, freezing them outside in the snow, and hanging them as ornaments. As they say goodbye, Yueyue hands Dandan red paper and thread to carry on the tradition in her new home. But in American, Dandan struggles to find anyone to enjoy the traditiont with… until a friend comes along.

Dragon Dancer by Joyce Chng & Jeremy Pailler // It’s Chinese New Year’s Eve, and this year it is Yao’s duty to awaken the great sky dragon, Shen Long, from his year long sleep. Together, it is up to Yao and Shen Long to battle away the bad luck of the previous year and usher in the golden light of good luck for the new year.

How to Catch a Dragon by Adam Wallace & Andy Elkerton // It’s Chinese New Year, and the kids are eager to catch a dragon! Join this gang of kids as they chase the dragon through paper lanterns, red lucky money envelopes, fireworks and more Chinese New Year celebrations! A fun STEM read for encouraging littles to design their own dragon traps and strategies. Mandarin translations are included at the back to encourage a bilingual read aloud. Scroll Down to check out mai Bookish Craft inspired by the story to brainstorm your own Dragon Trap!

12 Days of Lunar New Year by Jenna Lettice & Colleen Madden // Sing-along to the tune of the classic 12 Days of Christmas song in this Lunar New Year edition. Sing and count 12 different ways to celebrate tradition, culture, and family this Lunar New Year! Includes a sheet of stickers and the most warm and joyful illustrations!

Twelve in a Race by Catherine Little // “TWELVE IN A RACE” is a fun, rhyming read-aloud book that tells the story of the Chinese zodiac and how each of the twelve animals came to be associated with a particular year. Learn about the characteristics of each zodiac animal and how they fared in the Emperor’s great race.

New Year by Mei Zihan & Qin Leng // A beautiful story regarding missing family during the holidays. It’s Lunar New Year and a father is especially missing his daughter who moved abroad. He fondly recalls memories of their moments together while she was growing up, but while he misses her, he also recognizes her need to move away, grow up, and become independent. This is a precious story about loving those who are many miles away.

Nian, The Chinese New Year Dragon by Virginia Loh-Hagan & Timothy Banks // A beautiful retelling of the Chinese New Year Nian Dragon legend with an original twist, that explains the origins of Chinese New Year traditions. Mei hates springtime because that’s when the horrible Nian dragon leaves the mountain to come terrorize the village. However, on the night right before spring, a warrior visits Mei in her dreams and tells her that it is her destiny to face and defeat Nian within 15 days, or the dragon will be free forever.

Ruby’s Chinese New Year  by Vickie Lee & Joey Chou // Celebrate Chinese New Year with the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals as they help Ruby deliver a special card to her grandmother. The book includes back matter with a focus on the animals of the Chinese zodiac.

Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas by Natasha Yim & Grace Zong // A delightful spin on the classic “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” this retelling is set in a bustling contemporary Chinatown. It is Chinese New Year, and Goldy Luck is tasked with taking turnip cakes to the neighbors. But the Chan’s aren’t home, and Goldy is tempted to try out their rice porridge, chairs, and beds~ with disastrous results!

Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin // Join a Chinese American family as they prepare for Chinese New Year: make dumplings, hang festive decorations, sweep out the dust of the old year. Get ready for fireworks, lanterns, lion dancers, and an incredible dragon parade! Includes a surprise fold-out page at the end to extend the dragon parade!

Taiwan

Chloe’s Lunar New Year by Lily LaMotte, Illustrated by Michelle Lee // It’s almost time to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and Chloe can’t wait to join in the festivities! Before the big day, Chloe’s family prepares by buying new shoes, placing good-luck oranges in a bowl, decorating red envelopes, and making a crispy turnip cake. When the time comes for the celebration, Chloe’s family comes together to cook a delicious feast, making sure to save a plate for Chloe’s A-má. The back matter of the book includes educational information about the celebration of the Lunar New Year in Taiwan, as well as a fun recipe for a fortune cake that readers can try at home.

Vietnam

Mau Cua Tết / The Colors of Tết by Tiny Wrist // Through an exploration of color and shades, littles learn about the traditions of Vietnamese Lunar New Year. The book is written in both Vietnamese and English, and includes a sticker set and a QR code for read alouds.

Welcome Tet With the Zodiac Animals by Jessica Duong // This bilingual board book is written in both Vietnamese and English and teachers littles about the twelve Vietnamese zodiac animals (two of which are different than the Chinese zodiac). The book introduces each zodiac animal and its most common personality traits. Each animals also shares their favorite Tết greeting to welcome the new year~ perfect for helping littles practice when they greet their elders on Lunar New Year!

This is Tết by Tam Bui (Translated from Vietnamese) // A beautiful rhyming picture book that shares Tết activities and customs! Celebrate Vietnamese New Year through the curious eyes of a city kid with her family in a northern Vietnamese village for Tết.

Tết Together by Alice Trinh & Jade Le // Celebrate Tết, Vietnamese Lunar New Year, in this darling new release that highlights Vietnamese traditions and their significance during this festive time. Tết is a time not only for festivity and celebration, but for togetherness and reflection. Families come together to hang colorful decorations, prepare delicious meals with traditional foods, and sweep out the old year. A beautiful tribute to Vietnamese cultural heritage.

Korea

New Clothes for New Year’s Day by Hyun-joo Bae // Join a young Korean girl as she dresses up and prepared for celebrating the Korean Lunar New Year. The beautiful illustrations highlight the beauty of the holiday and introduce the traditional hanbok and how to wear it.

Tomorrow is New Year’s Day by Aram Kim // Mina is excited to share the customs of Seollal, Korean Lunar New Year, with her friends at school. Her little brother may even join, if he can find a way out of his bad mood! Join Mina as she shares more about her colorful hanbok, demonstrated how to do sebae, and even teaches everyone how to make tasty tteokguk!

All Year for One Day by Tiff Lee // On a bright morning, a little girl has been waiting All Year for One Day to celebrate her favorite Korean New Year’s traditions with her beloved family. Join them as they come together and share with them in the festivities!

Wish Soup: A Celebration of Seollal by Junghwa Park // Sohee’s favorite part of Seollal is tteokguk—the special Korean rice cake soup traditionally only enjoyed on New Year’s Day. Each bowl is said to make the person who eats it one year older. This year, Sohee wants to eat as many bowls as she can to finally be an eonni, or “big girl,” to her younger siblings and cousins. Before Sohee can even get to her first bowl, though, she’s interrupted by a series of holiday-related chores, leaving plenty of opportunity for her mischievous younger sister Somi to eat not only Sohee’s tteokguk, but their whole family’s! Despite this outrageously silly setback, Sohee eventually learns that being a big girl is more than just how many bowls of tteokguk you eat. 

Malaysia

Boys Don’t Fry by Kimberly Lee // A young Malaysian boy defies gender expectations to help his grandmother and aunties cook the Lunar New Year feast. Jin is excited for the big family reunion dinner and wants to learn more about the history of his family’s cooking. But his aunties shoo him away from the kitchen, claiming he’ll get bored of cooking. Luckily, Mamah asks him to help her prepare their sepcial meal, and soon Jin gets to join in on the frying, stirring, squeezing , and slicing! This book is filled with rich cultural details, including a traditional nyonya kitchen.

Lunar New Year in Different Countries

Our Lunar New Year by Yobe Qiu // Join Xiao Mi, Hang, Kwan, Malai and Charu as they share how they each celebrate the Lunar New Year in their own special way. I appreciate how this book highlights Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian families and how they honor the Lunar New Year.

Tastes of Lunar New Year by Cheryl Yau Chepusova & Isabel Foo & Mori Chiang // Celebrate Lunar New Year around the world through food! Join the 12 zodiac animals as they take you on a tour of 12 different special New Year’s dishes from China, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Korea. Full of colorful foodie fun!

Crafts

Prepare for some Lunar New Year festivity with these bookish crafts to extend the learning and play beyond the book. This Lunar New Year, I’m celebrating with some Lucky Money Envelopes, Eastern Dragon Fun, and a delicious Together Tray! Check out these Lunar New Year bookish crafts inspired below:

*Click on the Images for Craft Templates.*

Interactive Read Alouds

Plus, read along with MaiStoryBook YouTube for interactive, shared-reading read aloud adventures where I ask questions throughout the story, point out main themes and ideas, and introduce vocabulary to keep little learns engaged and participating throughout the story. Check out two of mai Lunar New Year Favorites Below:

Plus, check out MaiStoryBook’s Asian / Pacific Islander Interactive Read Aloud Playlist Here

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I hope you found some reading recommendations to add to your own shelves and share with your littles this Lunar New Year. Please share any other Lunar New Year Titles  to add to this themed collection.

*~Also, I’d love to  see and hear about your own reading adventures you are having with your little learners, so please share your story times below in the comments ~ Or Tag me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary , FaceBook , find me on TikTok, or contact me via email . I’d love to hear from you!~*