The Story of the Red Envelopes by Gordon Lew. This beloved classic from 1971 explains the symbols on Red Envelopes. It has been updated by TACT in 2018 with additional images. K-3 It will be on the TACT website in the curriculum section soon. 紅封的故事 With greatest respect to Gordon Lew. SFUSD Chinese Bilingual Pilot Program, 1971 Victor Low, Project Administrator Al Yuen, School Administrator Some images from the ERIC document have been revised to fit this new format. by The Association of Chinese Teachers 2018

Sam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chinn and Cornelius Wright. 1997. A boy uses his New Year red envelope money to help a homeless person. Grades 1-2.

Home for Chinese New Year by Wei Jie with Xu Can, Illustrator 2017. A father in northern China has to travel long distances by train in the snow to spend New Year’s eve with his family. Many Chinese Americans also have parents who work in other cities and can only come home occasionally. Grades K-2

A New Year's Reunion, 2011 by Yu Li-Qiong with Zhu Cheng-Liang, Illustrator 2011. A girl is overjoyed when her father returns home to celebrate the New Year in China. Like many Chinese American parents, he works far away, and the time he spends is precious because he must return to work. Mandarin Chinese is used and some customs are different from the ones observed by Cantonese speakers. Grades K-2

Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Chinese New Year: With Fireworks, Dragons, and Lanterns by Carolyn Otto 2015. This shows how the holiday is celebrated in China and is a part of a series to show different holidays around the world. K-4

Happy New Year! Kung-Hsi Fa-Ts’ai! By Demi. This mentions customs, the zodiac, immortal gods, and tree and flower symbols using Mandarin terms for all. The pictures are small and delicate, so the book can be used for pleasure reading by individual students rather than with large groups. Grades 4-6

Celebrating Chinese New Year: Nick’s New Year by Rosa Drew and Heather Phillips. 1999. This shows the Lunar New Year with simple sentences which English Learners can read themselves. Grades K-1 and English Learners in Higher Grades

New Clothes for New Year’s Day by Hyn-joo Bae. A girl in Korea gets dressed for the Lunar New Year. This is a beautifully illustrated book about the hanbok, a Korean dress with additional notes in the back about Korean New Year. K-1.

The Day the Dragon Danced by Kay Haugaard with Carolyn Reed Barritt, Illustrator. 2006. An African American boy introduces his family to Lunar New Year to show that the holiday can be celebrated by everyone. Grades K-1

Celebrate Chinese New Year with the Fong Family by Alma F. Ada & F. Isabel Campoy. 2006. A Latino family joins a Chinese family celebration. Although the illustrations of the people are a bit too yellow, the practice of sharing the celebration should be applauded. K-1.

Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year by Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low. 1990. This is a story of a young boy’s conquering his fears in his first public dance under a lion’s head in New York City. The story is told with color photos and remains a classroom favorite. It has been featured in the PBS television series, Reading Rainbow. Grades 1-3.

Celebrating Chinese New Year by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith. 1998. Good facts are paired with photos. This book has dates of the New Year so that children born in January are shown their correct zodiac animal. Grades 2-3.

New Year by Rich Lo 2016. An immigrant Chinese boy introduces his classmates to aspects of the New Year when asked to provide decorations for the classroom. It is based on the author’s own difficult experiences adjusting to Los Angeles. His family makes dragon boat dumplings in their New Year celebration. Grades 2-4

Year of the Dog by Grace Lin. 2007. Some New Year customs are mentioned in this chapter book about the protagonist Pacy Lin who is from a Mandarin speaking family in suburbia. Other books in the series includesYear of the Rat and Dumpling Days. Light reading, Grades 2-4.

Dragon Parade: A Chinese New Year Story by Steven A. Chin, 1993. This tells of the first New Year parade in America in 1851 and includes a good explanation of why people left China and the life of a Chinatown in America. The illustrations are excellent and show the historical dress, stores, and customs of the period. This book is highly recommended because of the historical dimension of the celebration. Grades 4-5

Exploring Chinatown: A Children's Guide to Chinese Culture by Carol Stepanchuk with Leland Wong, Illustrator 2003. This book is about many aspects of a Chinatown community, with some good information about Lunar New Year, stores, religious practices, and Lion Dances. The excellent drawings show an intimate knowledge of the community in which the illustrator was raised. Grades 4-8.

Ten Mice for Tet! By Pegi Deitz Chea and Cynthia Weill. 2003. Ten mice lead readers through the Tet with simple sentences. The book uses illustrations from beautifully embroidered pictures. PreK-1 Many Vietnamese customs are similar to Chinese customs; however, the zodiac replaces the rabbit with a cat. For an excellent explanation go to: http://vietnamesezodiac.com/vietnamese-year-of-the-cat/

Celebrating Chinese Festivals: A Collection of Holiday Tales, Poems and Activities by Sanmu Tang. 2012. This book contains several festivals including the New Year story of Nian, a monster who attacked the Chinese villages. Prek-1

Chinese Zodiac Animals by Sanmu Tang and Zhu Jingwen. 2011. This is a translated version from China of the zodiac animal story. Prek-1.

Why Cats Chase Mice: A Story of the Twelve Zodiac Signs (Japanese Fairy Tale Series) by Mina Harada Eimon. 1993. A mouse tricks the cat who loses his chance to be in the animal zodiac. The story differs from the Chinese version although the animals are the same. Japan changed to the Gregorian calendar, using January 1 as its New Year in 1873. Prek-1.

Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac by Ed Young. 1998. The illustrations are spare and dark. They capture the essence of each animal and their fierce competition to be the first in the zodiac. This is in contrast to the more colorful versions that are available. Older children might appreciate this as an art lesson, but the images might scare younger children. Grades 4-5.

The Chinese Book of Animal Powers by Chungliang Al Huang. 1999. Brush paintings of twelve animals of the zodiac that intermediate-middle school students would enjoy copying. The page for Year of the Dog is stunning. Grades 4-7.

My First Chinese New Year by Karen Katz, 2012. Good explanations for the New Year, explained simply.

Red is A Dragon: A Book of Colors by Roseanne Greenfield Thong with Grace Lin, Illustrator. 2008. Some New Year items are in this book about colors.

Bringing In the New Year by Grace Lin 2013. This has simple explanations of the New Year with Mandarin words for family and items.

This Next New Year by Janet S. Wong with Yangsook Choi, Illustrator 2000. A Korean/Chinese boy celebrates New Year with non-Asian friends. Some Korean customs are incorporated into the text.