NEW YEAR READING LIST
It’s a New Year & we have a new reading list. Explore the pages of these lovely books as they highlight the themes of family, being together, embracing the past, and looking forward to the future.
Snow Horses
MacLachlan, Patricia and Archer, Micha
From Newbery Medal-winning author Patricia MacLachlan comes a cozy picture book of love, light, and community during New Year’s and taking the past with us as we step into the future, brought to life with tender and intricate cut paper illustrations.
On the very last evening before the new year, when the snow is falling soft and thick, two black horses wait for the jingle of their sled. As they ride about town, they will spread light to their beloved neighbors, bidding farewell to the last night–and saying hello to the first morning.
The Tray Of Togetherness
Leung, Flo
A delicious ode to food, family, and togetherness that celebrates Lunar New Year
A little girl and her family are hosting a New Year party, an event marking the Lunar New Year. There’s a lot to do before the guests arrive! First, a trip to the market to fill up the Tray of Togetherness, a special candy box for the partygoers. Each of the eight lucky snacks in the Tray has an auspicious meaning: peanuts for a long life, pistachios for happiness, candied coconut for strong family ties…As the family returns home, they pass out delicious good wishes to the friends and neighbors they meet along the way.
After the tray has been prepared and the decorations set up, it’s time for the party! A diverse group of relatives and friends gathers, ready to celebrate the New Year with the Tray of Togetherness.
This sensory, food-focused story is brought to life with eye-catching illustrations and a little girl’s cheerful narration. Debut author/illustrator Flo Leung encourages readers to explore culturally specific Lunar New Year practices, while offering a universal message about carrying on traditions and creating community.
A Sweet New Year For Ren
Sterling, Michelle and Ho, Dung
Celebrate the Lunar New Year through a young girl’s family traditions in this charming picture book featuring illustrations by New York Times bestselling artist Dung Ho that also includes a recipe for pineapple cakes!
Little Ren looks forward to the preparation for and festivities of Lunar New Year, but she is always too little to help make the delicious pineapple cakes that are her favorite. She watches family members rolling out the dough and loves the mouth-watering smell. Watching and waiting, when will Ren be old enough?
Freedom Soup
Charles, Tami and Alcantara, Jacqueline
Join the celebration in the kitchen as a family makes their traditional New Year’s soup — and shares the story of how Haitian independence came to be.
The shake-shake of maracas vibrates down to my toes.
Ti Gran’s feet tap-tap to the rhythm.
Every year, Haitians all over the world ring in the new year by eating a special soup, a tradition dating back to the Haitian Revolution. This year, Ti Gran is teaching Belle how to make the soup — Freedom Soup — just like she was taught when she was a little girl. Together, they dance and clap as they prepare the holiday feast, and Ti Gran tells Belle about the history of the soup, the history of Belle’s family, and the history of Haiti, where Belle’s family is from. In this celebration of cultural traditions passed from one generation to the next, Jacqueline Alcántara’s lush illustrations bring to life both Belle’s story and the story of the Haitian Revolution. Tami Charles’s lyrical text, as accessible as it is sensory, makes for a tale that readers will enjoy to the last drop.
Our recommended reading is made possible by our partnership with McNally Robinson Booksellers. Visit your nearest McNally Robinson Bookstore in person or online to secure a copy of the titles listed above.
