Chloe's Lunar New Year by Lily LaMotte and Michelle Lee

The Lunar New Year is in sight and in this charming picture book we are given a taste of what Chinese families do in their preparation for that event. First the house must be cleaned to rid the place of the old, making room for the new year filled with good luck. Old shoes must be thrown out along with clothes that are no longer used. Red lanterns are strung around the rooms, and plates of oranges put out for good luck. Auntie comes to make Goodluck fish and turnip cakes, always a popular New Year treat.  More people arrive and make a hot pot, always enjoyed at New Year. As the family sits together for the New Year feast, all the things they have made come out. And during the evening some food is left at A-má’s shrine, to include a relative who has died.

A lovely story of inclusion at New Year, this story showcases a family and all the customs they follow at this important day.  It is a story of coming together, of cooking together, of remembering special recipes only cooked once a year, of getting together to eat the special meal, and an inclusion of people who have died. I found this book fascinating in its breadth, each page has few words but these contain a wealth of information and the lovely illustrations reflect the warmth of home and family. Each page offers a different use of white space, and shows differing images to look at, ensuring the reader is engaged, and will think about what they are seeing.

A page at the end of the book gives more detail about the Lunar New Year, and the recipe for one of the dishes Chloe’s family enjoys: Fortune Cake.

Themes: New Year, Customs, Family, Recipes.

Fran Knight