2026 is the year of the Horse! We have carefully selected exciting new Picture Books to Celebrate Lunar New Year starting February 17th this year. Our list below covers festive themes like dragons, dumplings, red envelopes, and the most important, family gatherings.
Comment below with other new titles to help our readers
find new favorites for their bookshelves at home
and in the classroom!
• Picture Books to Celebrate Lunar New Year •
GWEI THE HUNGRY GHOST
A picture book about a lonely ghost who learns to share and is finally fulfilled through friendship.
Gwei the ghost is absolutely famished, but unlike the other ghosts in the cemetery, he won’t eat just anything. Luckily, it’s Ghost Festival month: the one time a year when ghosts roam the realm of the living. Gwei flutters around the city eating steaming bowls of noodles, hot, hot, HOT chestnuts, and crispy fried fish with chili oil.
Yet no matter how much Gwei eats, his hunger won’t go away. As he searches for the perfect meal, he catches someone following him. It's another hungry little ghost! When he hears her grumbling belly, he reluctantly reaches into his pouch to share. To his surprise, he finally starts to feel full.
With charming Chinese folklore–inspired text by Emeline Lee and warm, glowing illustrations by Basia Tran, Gwei the Hungry Ghost is a story about how friendship feeds the soul.
Features illustrated backmatter with more information on the real Hungry Ghost Festival and more spirits of Chinese mythology!
GWEI THE HUNGRY GHOST
Written by Emeline Lee and Illustrated by Basia Tran
Published by Kokila Books
SOY SAUCE!
A joyful picture book for kids and foodies of all ages (with real soy sauce as paint!) that celebrates the iconic kitchen staple and the magical way food connects family and friends across the world.
Salty, savory, rich, and even sweet, soy sauce is as fascinating to make as it is delicious to eat!
Luan makes a classic Chinese soy sauce. Haru uses his own recipe at his family's traditional Japanese brewery. And Yoo-mi's Korean soy sauce features special ingredients to make it spicy and sweet.
With unique ingredients that reflect different Asian cultures, and a brewing process that can take years, even decades, soy sauce holds deep meaning and flavorful history in every drop.
SOY SAUCE!
Written and Illustrated by Laura G. Lee
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
THE CHINESE NEW YEAR HELPER
A young girl finds an exciting role for herself at the Chinese New Year celebration in her family’s restaurant. At last, she isn’t being told that she’s too young to help!
Jia’s family is busy preparing for the Chinese New Year feast at their restaurant in Chinatown, and Jia wants to take part. But each time she tries to help she’s told that she’s too young: too young to be in the kitchen, too young to light the lanterns, too young to carry the plates. And then the feast begins, and something wonderful happens. When Jia is scolded for getting too close to the exciting lion dance, one of the dancers swoops her up and into the costume, and suddenly she’s a part of the performance—a crucial part that saves the show. Never again does her family tell her that she’s too young to help!
THE CHINESE NEW YEAR HELPER
Written by Ying Chang Compestine and Illustrated by Ginnie Hsu
Published by Penguin RandomHouse
WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR: FESTIVALS OF THE WORLD
Get ready to celebrate Lunar New Year with Ren and his family.
Ren and his family are preparing for the joyous New Year celebrations—cooking a feast and getting their home spick and span. When Ren accidentally ruins the dragon costume his mother was going to wear in the New Year parade, he turns to his neighbors for help. As they lend their assistance, Ren also learns about Lunar New Year traditions from around the world. Soon they are all celebrating and feasting together in this community-centered story from chef and food writer Lara Lee and richly illustrated by Natelle Quek.
Written by Lara Lee and Illustrated by Natelle Quek
Published by Candlewick Press
SPARKLES FOR SUNNY
Lunar New Year is coming up, and Sunny is stuck wearing hand-me-downs to the party AGAIN.
The Lao family has four rules:
1. Make what you can yourself.
2. Get good deals.
3. Share extras with others.
4. Never waste anything.…which means that every year for Lunar New Year, Sunny winds up wearing a hand-me-down qípáo from her sisters. Just once Sunny wants to wear something that's so her and not so one of her sisters! Can Sunny uphold the Lao Family Way while also staying true to herself? Take a peek at this sweet and funny sister tale to find out!
From author Sylvia Chen comes a heart-warming tale about Sunny, a creative and boisterous little girl desperate to make her mark. With gorgeous illustrations from Thai My Phuong, Sparkles for Sunny is sure to delight readers everywhere.
SPARKLES FOR SUNNY
Written by Sylvia Chen and Illustrated by Thai My Phuong
Published by Flamingo Books
NEED MORE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:
Check out Children's Books that Celebrate New Year's Around the World:
Don't miss all our diverse books recommendations on KidLitTV!
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.
Connect with Bethany on Biracial Bookworms
|
Leave Your Comment