Preschoolers can follow one little girl as she learns how to welcome the coming year and experience all the festivities surrounding it, in a warm and lively introduction to a special holiday. 25,000 first printing. - (Baker & Taylor)

A girl and her family prepare for and celebrate Chinese New Year. - (Baker & Taylor)

Hooray! Hooray!
Soon it will be Chinese New Year.

A fun and colorful way to introduce the
Chinese New Year to young readers

Chinese New Year is a time of new beginnings. Follow one little girl as she learns how to welcome the coming year and experience all the festivities surrounding it. This warm and lively introduction to a special holiday will make even the youngest child want to start a Chinese New Year tradition!

Karen Katz has written and illustrated many books for children, including The Colors of Us, Can You Say Peace, My First Ramadan, Counting Kisses and Where is Baby's Belly Button. Long inspired by folk art from around the world, she was inspired to write her first book, Over the Moon, when she and her husband adopted their daughter from Guatemala, and she wanted to tell the story of welcoming Lena into their lives. Katz loves to paint and experiment with texture, color, collage and pattern. Besides an author and illustrator, she has been a costume designer, quilt maker, fabric artist and graphic designer. Katz and her family divide their time between New York City and Saugerties, New York.

Booklist Reviews

PreS-K. This very simple introduction to the Chinese New Year focuses on food, families, and customs. Bright, cheerful collage and mixed media-illustrations work well with the narrative, but a few crowd the pages and spill into the gutter. Chinese lettering would have added an authentic flavor to signs and banners. Still, the brief, informative text is well suited for preschool holiday and multicultural units. ((Reviewed February 1, 2005)) Copyright 2005 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

A young Chinese-American girl describes her family's celebration of the Chinese New Year, from sweeping away last year's bad luck to preparing the traditional feast and watching the parade in Chinatown. An unfortunate typographical error mars the text, but the bright collage illustrations, with their many pleasing patterns, make for an attractive introduction. A brief endnote supplies additional information. Copyright 2005 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

A girl and her family celebrate the Chinese New Year in Katz's engaging offering. Throughout, holiday traditions and symbolism are clearly and simply explained. "Red means good luck and happiness in China," the girl says, as she and her mother hang colorful banners throughout the house. Later, purchasing plum and quince blossom with her father, she says, "The tiny buds remind us that new things can always grow." With her grandmother, the girl makes soup "to bring good health." Katz uses bright colors and energetic patterns in her collage and mixed-media illustrations to capture the excitement that surrounds the celebration. At the New Year's Day parade, a multicultural crowd lines the street, reflecting the diversity of urban America. Gung Hay Fat Choy! This one's a winner. (author's note) (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus 2004 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

Karen Katz introduces readers to the traditions and importance of this holiday in China with My First Chinese New Year. "Red means good luck and happiness in China" reads the text, as mother and child hang patterned red tissues for decoration. The girl narrator "sweep[s] away the bad luck from last year" with her younger sister and makes an altar "to honor our ancestors" with her grandfather, among other activities sure to inspire readers and their kin. The family enjoying a banquet and a colorful parade round out the fun. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.