Chinese New Year: A Celebration for Everyone

by Jen Sookfong Lee

Overview

From its beginnings as a farming celebration marking the end of winter to its current role as a global party featuring good food, lots of gifts and public parades, Chinese New Year is a snapshot of Chinese culture.

Award-winning author and broadcaster Jen Sookfong Lee recalls her childhood in Vancouver and weaves family stories into the history, traditions and evolution of Chinese New Year. Lavishly illustrated with color photographs throughout.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459826434
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	01/19/2021
Series:	Orca Origins Series , #4
Pages:	88
Sales rank:	419,380
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jen Sookfong Lee was born and raised on Vancouver's East Side, and she now lives with her son in North Burnaby. Her books include The Conjoined, nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award and a finalist for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize; The Better Mother, a finalist for the City of Vancouver Book Award, The End of East, The Shadow List and Finding Home. Jen was a columnist for CBC Radio One's The Next Chapter for many years. She teaches at The Writer's Studio Online with Simon Fraser University, acquires and edits for ECW Press and co-hosts the literary podcast Can't Lit.

Table of Contents

Introduction
What the Kids Say About Chinese New Year

Chapter One: What Chinese New Year Is All About

• Mythic Origins
• The Not-So-Mythic Story
• How Chinese New Year Changed
• When Politics and Holidays Collide
• Chinese School and the New Year
• Janie’s Story

Chapter Two: How Chinese New Year Spread Around the World

• A Global Community
• Chinese New Year Festivals Through the Ages
• Jen’s Story (Part One)
• Emma’s Story

Chapter Three: How Chinese New Year Is Celebrated Today

• A Public Holiday
• Family First
• The Importance of Color
• It’s Not All About the Money
• Jen’s Story (Part Two)
• Elaine’s Story

Chapter Four: Chinese New Year Celebrations Across the Globe

• Around the World
• A Different Kind of Traveler
• The New Diversity
• Stephen’s Story
• Amanda’s Story

A final word from the author
Glossary
References and Resources
Index
Acknowledgments

Editorial Reviews

"Chinese and non-Chinese individuals reminisce about how they celebrated the holiday growing up. Their uniquely personal stories make this book stand out…Kids who think they know about this holiday will be surprised at the new things they learn."

Booklist

"Chinese New Year: A Celebration for Everyone provides a satisfying, well-rounded account of Chinese New Year…Readers will be attracted to the book as it offers a good balance between factual information about Chinese people's history and more experiential descriptions about Chinese culture and communal life…The book's numerous photos complement and enhance the text by providing a good visual reference which will be particularly useful for readers who have never visited China or who are unfamiliar with Chinese cultural traditions and history…A good resource for a social studies unit about Chinese or Asian culture…As a whole, Sookfong Lee's book is a welcome nonfiction addition to children's literature. Highly Recommended."

CM Magazine

Offers substantive information about the holiday and its celebration...Excellent color photographs and intimate personal anecdotes are highlights.

The Horn Book Online

"Jen Sookfong Lee's Chinese New Year: A Celebration for Everyone comes together as a semi-autobiographical book blending history, family traditions and recipes. Informative accounts of China's political and cultural past are intermixed with stories of the immigration experiences from different family members. Lee not only shares how family traditions were passed on to her but then passes on these same traditions to readers through recipes and childhood memories. The glossy photographs portraying cultural celebrations worldwide act as a colourful and vivid backdrop for the books message which is Chinese New Year is a celebration for everyone."

Resource Links

A comprehensive and engaging go-to book for fans of the holiday as well as schools and libraries...There is something for everyone to get out of reading Chinese New Year.

Good Reads with Ronna blog

"I highly recommend this very personal, yet informative book full of the enchanting stories and diverse peoples of Chinese New Year. A treasure for all generations, around the globe!"

Governor General's Award–winning author of Paul Yee

"This wide-ranging, informative book describes the multi-faceted roots, history and evolution of Chinese New Year. Jen Sookfong Lee weaves together engaging personal anecdotes about family and food with fascinating facts about Chinese customs, traditions, and history, providing a window into a special event that over 20 percent of the world's population celebrates annually in 119 countries all over the world. Readers will enjoy the stories and photographs as much as the delicious recipes! Here's a book for the whole family to savour!"

author of The Rainbow Rocket Fiona Tinwei Lam

"I highly recommend this very personal, yet informative book full of the enchanting stories and diverse peoples of Chinese New Year. A treasure for all generations, around the globe!"

Governor General's Award-winning author of Ghost Paul Yee

"I highly recommend this very personal, yet informative book full of the enchanting stories and diverse peoples of Chinese New Year. A treasure for all generations, around the globe!"

"Chinese and non-Chinese individuals reminisce about how they celebrated the holiday growing up. Their uniquely personal stories make this book stand out…Kids who think they know about this holiday will be surprised at the new things they learn."

Booklist