Beyond the traditional New Year’s on December 31st, here is a list of Children’s Books that Celebrate New Year’s Around the World. Come with KidLitTV to learn how people celebrate Nowruz; Persian New Year, Seollal; Korean New Year, learn about the traditional food of an African-American new year, Lunar New Year, Diwali; Indian New Year, and more.
• Children’s Books that Celebrate New Year’s Around the World •
Black Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese
Know what I like most about Grandma’s kitchen?
More than jambalaya? More than sweet potato pie? Even more than pralines?
Grandma’s stories! Every meal Grandma cooks comes with a story.
What will today’s story be?While visiting her grandma in Louisiana, nine-year-old Frances is excited to help prepare the New Year’s Day meal. She listens as Grandma tells stories–dating back to the Atlantic Slave Trade–about the food for their feast. Through these stories, Frances learns not only about the ingredients and the dishes they are making but about her ancestors and their history as well.
A celebration of the stories that connect us, this picture book urges us to think about the foods we eat and why we eat them. This book was inspired by the author’s own childhood and includes her family’s very own recipe for pralines in the back!
Black Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese
Written by Glenda Armand and Illustrated by Steffi Walthall
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers
TOMORROW IS NEW YEAR’S DAY:
Seollal, a Korean Celebration of the Lunar New Year
From Korean American author-illustrator Aram Kim, Tomorrow is New Year’s Dayfollows a little girl sharing the fun customs of Seollal–the Korean Lunar New Year–with her classmates.
Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, is Mina’s favorite day of the year.
Mina can’t wait to share the customs of Seollal with all of her friends at school. She will show her classmates her colorful hanbok, demonstrate how to do sebae, and then everyone will make tasty tteokguk in the cooking room. Yum! Her little brother may even join in on the fun… if he can find a way out of his bad mood.
In this joyful book about sharing age-old cultural celebrations with new friends, Aram Kim has created a must-have book for the New Year’s season. A glossary of Korean terms, with pronunciation guide, is included.
TOMORROW IS NEW YEAR’S DAY: Seollal, a Korean Celebration of the Lunar New Year
Written and Illustrated by Aram Kim
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
MEASURING A YEAR: A Rosh Hashanah Story
From award-winning author Linda Elovitz Marshall and illustrator Zara González Hoang comes this engaging picture book about celebrating Rosh Hashanah.
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mark the beginning of the Jewish New Year. They offer a chance to think about the present and the past, to “measure” a year and ourselves.
This sweet and thoughtful picture book, perfect for reading aloud, invites young readers and their families to take stock of the happy times and the occasional regrets, as well as the new friends made and new skills gained over the year. Happy New Year! Shana Tova!
Written by Linda Elovitz Marshall and Illustrated by Zara González Hoang
Published by Abrams Books
THE 12 DAYS OF LUNAR NEW YEAR
Count out twelve ways to celebrate Lunar New Year! This fun-filled picture book inspired by The 12 Days of Christmas is perfect for fans of Natasha Wing’s The Night Before series. Includes stickers!
This cheery addition to the 12 Days series celebrates tradition, culture, and family in the lead-up to Lunar New Year! Young readers and their caregivers will enjoy counting all the different ways they can engage with their communities and honor their ancestors. This simple rhyming story is paired with warm illustrations and a full page of stickers, making these books the perfect gift for kids.
THE 12 DAYS OF LUNAR NEW YEAR
Written by Jenna Lettice and Illustrated by Colleen Madden
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers
THE MONSTER IN THE BATH HOUSE
How to Catch a Monster meets Persian myth in this engaging picture book set in a lively Iranian bathhouse the day before the Persian New Year as three boys encounter something unexpected.
The bathhouse is always busy the day before Nowruz. Everyone wants to be clean for the new year! As three boys enjoy their day at the bathhouse with their fathers, they hear a strange sound and decide to investigate. There’s a big mess, and they hear the sound of someone–or something–large splashing in the baths. What could it be? An unruly guest? A four-legged intruder? Or perhaps…a monster?
Written and Illustrated by Sina Merabian
Published by Simon and Schuster
DIWALI IN MY NEW HOME
Priya loves being with family and friends to watch fireworks and celebrate Diwali. But this year Priya and her parents are living in the United States, and no one seems to know about the holiday. Priya misses the traditions in India. But as she strings lights outside and creates rangoli art, Priya introduces the festival of lights to her neighbors. And even though the celebration is different this year, it’s still Diwali.
A heartwarming story of celebrating in a new place and sharing the Hindu festival of lights with those unfamiliar with the holiday.
Bethany Edwards is an elementary educator as well as a reading and literacy
specialist. On Biracial Bookworms, she focuses on multiracial and multicultural resources for teaching literacy skills using reading, travel, and learning multiple languages. Additionally, she offers online and self-paced courses for parents and caregivers on Biracial Bookworms Academy.
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