Product Description
Lily LaMotte, brilliant author of the graphic novel Measuring Up, an ALA Top Ten, has written her debut picture book about a special Lunar New Year feast. Perfect for fans of Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin and I Am Golden by Eva Chen.
"Themes of love and family underlie the snappy text." —Kirkus
It's almost Lunar New Year, and Chloe can’t wait to celebrate! But first, Chloe and her family must prepare for the new year. They buy new shoes, lay out good-luck oranges in a bowl, decorate the red envelope, and make a crispy turnip cake. Everyone comes together to cook a fantastic feast, saving a plate for A-má, of course. Chloe enjoys the festive celebration and yummy food, but most of all, she loves spending time with her family.
Lily LaMotte and Michelle Lee have created a tender, warm, and uplifting holiday story about tradition and the importance of being with those you love.
The backmatter contains educational facts about the Lunar New Year celebration in Taiwan and a fun recipe for a yummy fortune cake!
From School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3-Chloe, her smaller brother, and her parents prepare for the annual Lunar New Year celebration. There're cleaning, new shoes, and an emphasis on blending Taiwanese classics like good-luck fish, turnip cake, and sticky fortune cakes with American apple pie. Red envelopes and a family reunion-including an uncle with red hair and beard-are also key parts of the festival. Virtues of helping, sharing, and respecting tradition subtly appear. There are many references to a beloved grandmother (A-má), prominent in the endpaper family photos, for whom the hot pot is made and who is expected at the reunion. In a poignant surprise, A-má is present, but only in cherished family memories and the photo honored on the family altar. The soft, simple but realistic watercolors show some settings, but often focus on the characters, who have sweet expressions and Western dress. Dispensing with the external drama of the dragon, parade, or noisy firecrackers, this warm book depicts family as central. Back matter includes an author's note and a recipe for fortune cake. VERDICT LaMotte's success with Measuring Up looks likely to extend to younger readers here.-Patricia D. Lothropα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review
"Themes of love and family underlie the snappy text. The spare drawings are most engaging on the endpapers featuring portraits in a family album." — Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Lily LaMotte graduated from Hamline’s Writing for Children and Young Adults program with an MFA. When she isn’t writing, she’s cooking up new recipes and supporting her library system as a KCLS Foundation board member. Measuring Up is her debut graphic novel. Visit her at www.lilylamotte.com.
Award winning television news anchor Michelle Lee is a 2004 Body-for-LIFE Champion.
