Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 3^-5. The hallmark of this pleasant book is its numerous color photographs by Lawrence Migdale, which trace the preparations of young Ryan and his family as they get ready for the Chinese New Year. The family lives in San Francisco, surrounded by relatives, and in the weeks before the holiday, there is a flurry of cleaning, shopping, and cooking. Hoyt-Goldsmith explains the various traditions surrounding the holiday, including honoring ancestors, and then goes on to show the actual celebration and parade, including the famous lion's dance. The text and pictures are a cut above those found in series books on celebrations. A glossary rounds out the treatment. --Ilene Cooper
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-5Hoyt-Goldsmith and Migdale have done a stellar job of bringing readers into a holiday celebration. Beginning with the pre-New Year preparations, children follow 10-year-old Ryan Leong and his family as they celebrate the Chinese New Year in San Francisco. Through big, bright photographs and a clear, easy-to-follow text, readers see the preparations and festivities and learn about the history and traditions. The author includes the symbolic meanings of the foods eaten and other customs, an explanation of the Chinese Zodiac, and an in-depth look at the Lion Dance. The book is more detailed than Kate Waters's Lion Dancer (Scholastic, 1990) and June Behrens's Gung Hay Fat Choy (Children's, 1982). The color photographs make it more inviting than Tricia Brown's Chinese New Year (Holt, 1995). Hoyt-Goldsmith's excellent book makes the Chinese New Year celebration accessible and understandable to all children.Yapha Nussbaum Mason, Brentwood Lower School, Los Angeles (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
The text follows a young boy named Ryan as he and his family prepare to celebrate Chinese New Year in their home and community. Illustrated with captioned color photographs, the book introduces the holiday's foods and customs and provides information about the history of San Francisco's Chinatown. Ind. From HORN BOOK Spring 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Hoyt-Goldsmith and Migdale (Lacrosse, p. 581, etc.) introduce readers to Ryan, a young Chinese-American boy living in San Francisco, as he and his family prepare for the coming Chinese New Year. The sharp full-color photographs capture various moments in this important holiday: shopping for symbolic foods and flowers, a trip to the cemetery to honor ancestors, the gathering of the clan, preparing meals, attending the parade, and more. A running commentary explains the origins of the holiday that go back almost 5,000 years, the symbolism of the rituals, the significance of the Chinese zodiac, the choice of ingredients for special meals. One of the most attractive aspects of the book (and, of course, the holiday) is the emphasis on the extended family, and the honoring of those family members who have died. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
