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!
"Hsu’s boldly colored, predominantly red-and-gold illustrations nicely capture the celebratory atmosphere of a Chinese restaurant in a vibrant, multicultural community, especially when the energetic lion dancers arrive and perform for the crowd. Jia’sexpressive body language and facial expressions clearly communicate her justified frustration at not being taken seriously by the adults in her life, and little kids who are tired of being told they’re too small will surely relate. Culturally specific details will be recognizable to families whoc elebrate the Chinese New Year, and Jia’s emotional journey will make this doubly useful for SEL collections. ”—Booklist
"Bright red sand yellows dominate Hsu’s warm and festive gouache and digital artwork, which features a diverse community of people. Celebratory and inspiring, especially for youngsters tired of being told they’re too young to contribute. —Kirkus
"Against the backdrop of Hsu’s gouache and digital art, which depicts myriad cultural details, Compestine uses easy, descriptive prose to detail a series of traditions while affirming the power of involving children at any age. —Publishers Weekly
Ying Chang Compestine grew up in China. She is the author of cookbooks for adults and of children's books that introduce Chinese culture and food, including The Real Story of Stone Soup. She lives with her family in California.
View titles by Ying Chang Compestine
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!
Reviews
"Hsu’s boldly colored, predominantly red-and-gold illustrations nicely capture the celebratory atmosphere of a Chinese restaurant in a vibrant, multicultural community, especially when the energetic lion dancers arrive and perform for the crowd. Jia’sexpressive body language and facial expressions clearly communicate her justified frustration at not being taken seriously by the adults in her life, and little kids who are tired of being told they’re too small will surely relate. Culturally specific details will be recognizable to families whoc elebrate the Chinese New Year, and Jia’s emotional journey will make this doubly useful for SEL collections. ”—Booklist
"Bright red sand yellows dominate Hsu’s warm and festive gouache and digital artwork, which features a diverse community of people. Celebratory and inspiring, especially for youngsters tired of being told they’re too young to contribute. —Kirkus
"Against the backdrop of Hsu’s gouache and digital art, which depicts myriad cultural details, Compestine uses easy, descriptive prose to detail a series of traditions while affirming the power of involving children at any age. —Publishers Weekly
Author
Ying Chang Compestine grew up in China. She is the author of cookbooks for adults and of children's books that introduce Chinese culture and food, including The Real Story of Stone Soup. She lives with her family in California.
View titles by Ying Chang Compestine
