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Stereotype-Free Kids Stories Celebrating the Lunar New Year
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[Image Description: Illustration from The Nian Monster by Wang & Chau, featuring an energetic cyclone of dragon dancers surrounding a pleased and bloodthirsty Nian sitting on a throne of fireworks. Behind the Nian, a clever little girl prepares to light the firecrackers.]
In this post: Stereotype-free (and amazing) picture books celebrating the Lunar New Year
This post is no longer updated regularly. Check out the Books for Littles Lunar New Year collection on Bookshop for our most recent new year recommendations.
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No more meek China Dolls
Xingling from The Nian Monster is the kick-ass Asian hero I’ve been searching for my whole life.
Growing up, I had ZERO kick-ass feminine Asian heroes. We had:
- Meek Aja from Jem
- Zany Claudia stuffing her face through The Babysitters Club
- A light brown barbie doll with black hair and a European bone structure (I think she was supposed to be Hawaiian?)
- And Deedee from the cheesy band, The Party.
(Just me? Do you guys remember that band? I had a poster and everything!)
They were okay, I guess.
And then I saw The Heroic Trio and I was like, “WHAAAAAT?! YES! MORE! – ALL OF IT!!!”
Clever, smart, conniving, even, these kick-ass Chinese women. And heroic! And it only took NINETEEN YEARS for this kind of powerful representation to show up for little Asian girls in picture books.
Spark Curiosity with…uhh. MAYHEM and DESTRUCTION!
I’ve read like a billion books on the lunar new year, and they are all dry and bland and cutesy. Dumplings. Grandmas. Lanterns. Lion Dancers. Noodles. Yawn.
AND THEN I FOUND THIS!!!!
It’s been a year since we got this book, and the kids still love it and ask to read it all the time. Both of the Little Earthquakes can’t get enough of it, and I’m still not tired of reading it.
As a modern spin on the folktale of the Nian, clever Xingling saves all of Shanghai from destruction in the new year by outwitting the fierce (and omg so adorable) Nian monster.
Working in some basics on celebrating the lunar new year, I was able to introduce these ideas to my kids without getting didactic and boring.
It was the perfect way to spin the terrifying story of a monster who wants to consume everything we hold dear into something my kids can get through with a giggle.
I love the (mild) mayhem and destruction, as people flee while clutching their cell phones. I love that the illustrator doesn’t resort to slant-eyes. I love the irreverent writing. I love that Xingling’s first instinct is to shout ‘Ai-ya!’ because it brings me back to my grandmother’s kitchen when I hear that.
The Problem with Chinese New Year
Now there’s an issue with celebrating the Lunar New Year in the US. It’s something I’ve fallen for, too, growing up ABC (American-born Chinese).
It uhh….never occurred to me until a couple years ago that the Lunar New Year doesn’t exclusively belong to the Chinese.
I’ve spent a couple years searching for more diverse representation in Lunar New Year traditions, and have found some decent ones worth exploring, listed below.
This way, we can teach our kids that the people of South/East Asia and the Pacific Islands aren’t just satellites of China, but rich and complex cultures that have a weight and significance all their own.
Awesome Lunar New Year Books
Arm yourself with a diverse range of experiences and traditions this lunar new year, and celebrate the death of the China-doll (and China-only) stereotype.
Captioned age ranges are for when my sons were able to understand and enjoy each story. The rest of the images in this post are book covers of titles referenced before the images.
*#OwnVoices Books by Asian Authors and/or illustrators are marked with an asterisk. This seems like a weird thing to highlight, since all the books in this collection are written or at least illustrated by Asian makers, but this is SO RARE for topics on disability and indigenous culture. Hmm… INTERESTING.
Ages 3+
*The Nian Monster (China – Shanghai)
THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST. Engaging, witty, funny. A new spin on the Nian monster folktale set in modern-day Shanghai.
Xingling is a quick-thinker and tricks the Nian monster into delaying his devour(ation?) of the entire city.
Our favorite device, repeated through the book: “Nian stroked one pointy horn… ‘You are wise, little one. [I will eat] Noodles first, then you, then the city.”
I Just LOVE the ridiculously mischief of this story, with this clever trickster girl. I love the images of the Nian monster wrecking up the place and people fleeing while clutching cell phones. I love how adorable and non-frightening this terrifying monster is, and I want a plush version of him.
I love how the story connects the decorations and traditions and foods we eat and what it has to do with the traditional folktale, in a new way that gives a girl power and agency.
I love the modern landmarks of Shanghai, re-imagined with a giant monster destroying them. I love this damn book so damn much.
Ages 1.5-6
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Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year)
Illustrated by Alina Chau (same illustrator from The Nian Monster), but written by a white-presenting lady, this nice sturdy board book covers all the basics of Chinese New Year.
This book is the latest installment of the Celebrate The World holidays collection. Eliot has done a good job finding #OwnVoices illustrators for this series and I’m happy with all of them.
It’s well written, but…when I tried to read this adorable, didactic little book with the Earthquakes, they expected the excitement and adventure of Chau’s other books.
“On the first day of the Chinese calendar, the new moon is in the sky and the stars shine bright. It is time for a big celebration. This festival is known by many names: Chinese New Year, Spring Festival, and Lunar New Year. It marks the passage of the harvest season and celebrates the coming spring.”
You see what I mean? It’s inclusive, concise, and…boring. We haven’t managed to finish this since my kids toss it aside and head to the shelf to hunt for The Nian Monster. We’ve been spoiled.
Ages 9 months+
*New Clothes For New Year’s Day (Korean Seollal)
This one about the Korean New Year (Seollal) is a spectacular, simple book for littles.
The illustrations and story are engaging and beautiful. I am actually both bummed and baffled as to why this is the only book made by this author.
It’s also the only book that doesn’t mush all Eastern new-year celebrations together as if they are pale copycats of Chinese new year. This celebrated the beauty of Korean culture and allows the celebration to stand on its own.
The little girl in this story is excited to put on her new hanbok for New Year’s day! Such a sweet, simple book perfect for younger kids.
Ages 3+
*A New Year’s Reunion (Chinese New Year)
So this is a super cute story, but it’s also bittersweet and gives me FEELINGS that I’m not sure what to do with. I wish this book had a call to action – a specific act, an organization to reach out to.
We get a glimpse into a short few days in the life of a little girl (maybe 3ish) when she’s reunited with her father during Chinese New Year.
Her father is a migrant worker, which means he needs to travel hundreds (thousands?) of miles away to support his family, and they only see each other once a year for the holiday celebration.
::Initiate my silent, but constant, leak of tears::
Together, they do things mundane and transcendent – get haircuts, catch up on handy-work around the house, and snuggle together in bed, whispering late into the night.
We were walloped with the impact of migrant economies on families. We saw what it means to be mindful of every moment with someone we love, knowing it will end too soon.
Heartstrings -> pulled. I want this adorable little girl, with her stubby toddler legs and pudgy little cheeks to have her daddy every day. I want a better world for them.
I don’t know why I thought this was a problem only in America. Stories like Pancho Rabbit And The Coyote feel close-to-home. It feels like we have some control over the health and safety of migrant laborers by aiding local organizations. But ooof. This hardship is a global, human issue.
So for now, we’ll settle for reading stories like this to learn what’s going on. We’ll snuggle the babies we get to see every day. And we’ll keep fighting for economic equality and family rights. And we’ll teach our kids to fight for that, too.
You might also like: Galvanizing Books About Poverty That Inspire Kids To Give Back
Ages 3.5+
*Ten Mice For Têt! (Vietnamese Têt)
These iillustrations!
You can’t tell from the image online, but it looks like the artist embroidered the illustrations on every page of this book.
WHAAAT that is SO much work and such a labor of artistry!
The story is simple – it’s more of a counting book. From the story on its own, I can’t tell how Têt is any different than Chinese New Year, but the end-pages include some brief-but-helpful notes on the significance of the traditions on each page.
I wish these bits were included in the story, since that leaves the onus on adults to parse the end notes and explain it to kids (which means we don’t really NEED the book, just wikipedia). But it’s a good jumping off point.
Ages 4.5+
* Dragon New Year (Chinese New Year)
Oh! If your kids like traditional folktales, try this one too. I was a good runner-up, with some weight to it.
This author tends to do a story-within a story for his books, but it’s completely unnecessary and the outer story of a grandma and granddaughter are kind of boring. Q loved it (age 5.5), but only if we skipped the framing story around it.
The inner story is cool though – featuring a kick-ass elderly lady. Take THAT, ageism!
Mostly, my son loves it because it features a water dragon (his Chinese zodiac sign) and Buddha, who he’s been a fan of since he recently developed a love for anything having to do with The Monkey King.
Ages 3.5+
*Sam And The Lucky Money (Chinatown, US)
It’s rare to find a story that tells us a bit about cultural holidays without beating us over the head with traditions, foods, and details. I like that this story normalizes the lucky red envelopes we give to children on Chinese New Year, but I LOVE where the story takes it.
It always made me delighted-and-uncomfortable to receive lucky money on New Years. Yay, free money!
But also I get uncomfortable with getting gifts I didn’t earn (I guess it wouldn’t be a gift, then? The whole gift economy baffles me). In particular, it felt weird to get money just because I was a kid, when there were clearly more pressing, urgent matters adults needed cash for, like food and shelter.
So Sam gets $4 in his envelope, which is an inauspicious number in Chinese culture. So I guess the author was trying to make a point with the $4, but I’m not sure what it is.
He’s happy with it until he realizes that it won’t go far in a toy store. Cue inevitable grouchy entitled kid-behavior. Then he realizes that his $4 doesn’t seem like much to him – but it’s worth a lot to the homeless guy freezing outside with no shoes or socks on.
My only caveat for this story is those dated, bland, dreary illustrations popular in the 90’s, which turned the kids (and me) off.
It was good for a couple reads, but despite the helpful, timely moral while we celebrate the new year, they weren’t having it for more than a couple reads.
Ages 4.5+
*Dumpling Soup (Hawaii – US Island of Oahu)
A Hawaiian family on the island of Oahu celebrates the new year.
I’ll admit, this story is kind of didactic and boring, but it’s so rare to find a story featuring multiracial families, so I have to include it.
The family is mainly Korean, but includes Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian & Haole (white) family members. They celebrate a mishmash new year together as a family, based mostly on Korean traditions.
Ages 6 months to 4 years
* Dragon Dance (China)
Throwing this in here not because it’s spectacular, but because of all the cutesy, didactic stories, this one held my toddler’s fascination better than the rest.
They cheat – there are flaps! But also the illustrations are cheery and cute, without stereotypical slant-eyes. The flaps are reasonably sturdy, so it works well for younger tots.
Ages 3.5+
*The Seven Gods of Luck (Japan) – Problematic
Still searching for a super-engaging story-based book featuring the Japanese new year, but for now, this kinda vanilla one will have to do.
Initially, I was not a huge fan of there being seven gods and the only woman is the goddess of beauty – but I was like, “Welp, patriarchy is a worldwide issue. Whatcha gonna do?”
After more research, I found that she’s actually the goddess of arts and knowledge, so why did the makers have to reduce her influence to just beauty?
And now I’m just angry. Why did this dude have to DO that?!
Ages 4+
*Japanese Traditions (Japan)
Oh gosh I’m dying, this is SUPER adorable. All the characters are kittens and cats. It’s not really about the Lunar New Year specifically – BUT COME ON. CATS.
The author goes through each month highlighting popular traditions and celebrations, plus everyday games they’d do for fun in the coldest days of winter, how they’d stay warm, crafts, games, typical dinners, seasonal activities and festivals. The end of book even has some search & find items.
This book must have taken forever to illustrate, and it’s so well thought-out you could plan a year around it. SO GOOD. So cute! ALSO: CATS!
(I like cats.)
Ages 3.5+
*This Next New Year (US – Multiracial Korean & Chinese character with friends of various ethnicities)
Another multiracial one! But also – still kiiiinda boring!
‘This Next New Year’ features a Korean/Chinese boy celebrating the new year, as well as his non-Chinese friends integrating their own spin on the lunar new year festivities.
Some of them are a little appropriation-y (like the French/German friend who gets Thai takeout to celebrate what we consider a significant cultural holiday) but the premise aims for inclusion.
Okay. Sure.
*New Year (USA)
Lo’s illustrations are gorgeous as usual. Centered on a recent immigrant from China to California, this is based on the author’s story from childhood. Both my 4.5 & 6.5-year-olds got sense of what it might feel like- and how embarrassing and unpleasant it is – to be the only kid who doesn’t speak the common language in a new school.
What I love most about this (aside from the author’s use of Cantonese “Gong hei fa choi!” when so many other books center Mandarin as the default language), is how he chose to show the American-Born Chinese (ABC) student’s reluctance to talk to him. How she resented being seated next to him and being saddled as his Cantonese interpreter.
I discussed with my kids how it felt as a kid to be the only Asian in a sea of white faces, and how pressured we feel to assimilate and not be seen as ‘the other.’ What it feels like when, as the only Asian kid in the class, teachers assume that we’ll automatically be friends with the other Asian kids. The author handles both the ABC and FOB (fresh off the boat) perspective well – and it gives us lots to talk about.
Stay Curious, Stand Brave & 恭禧發財!
This page is no longer updated, so visit the Books for Littles Expanded Lunar New Year Recommended Reading List, where I add new recommended Lunar New Year books each year.
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2 comments
Have you read Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas? It’s written by an Asian American and features the Lunar New Year as the backdrop. I appreciated the ending where Goldy takes accountability for her actions by reflecting, apologizing, making amends, and (hopefully) changes her behavior in the future.
Yep – I include it in our ‘apology and amends’ book collections. There was food in the story but it didn’t feel like a food story. I toyed with including it here, but if I recommend too many books, readers get overwhelmed and bounce. So it didn’t make the cut.
It feels more like a New Year’s book to me, but even then, a middling book about New Years, that also didn’t make the cut for that collection. I’m holding onto it for when we can make a collection about apologies and reparations. That’s where it shines.