HOPPING INTO THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT...

Notecards from Etsy

Today is the first day of the 2011 Chinese Lunar New Year. Welcome it with some fun books about China and Rabbits...


BRINGING IN THE NEW YEAR by Grace Lin.  Follow a Chinese American family as they prepare for the Lunar New Year. They all lend a hand as they sweep out the dust of the old year, hang decorations, and make dumplings. Then it’s time to put on new clothes and celebrate with family and friends. The celebration will include fireworks and lion dancers, shining lanterns, and a great, long dragon parade to help bring in the New Year. (The dragon parade in this book is extra long–on a surprise fold-out page at the end of the book.)



In a past post, I recommended several picture book stories set in China, that can be found HERE.  My kids and I really enjoyed reading aloud Chinese folk tales.  I've listed a couple more of our favorites:


TALES OF A CHINESE GRANDMOTHER, by Frances Carpenter.  (Ages 9-12) Wonderful folktales of the Chinese culture, told by an old grandmother. Each chapter is a different tale.


THE PAPER CRANE by Molly Bang. (Ages 4-8) Story based on an ancient Chinese folktale - a stranger enters a restaurant and is served a fine dinner by the owner of the struggling restaurant and his young son. He tries to repay the kind owner with an origami crane made from a paper napkin, that dances when they clap their hands.  Beautiful paper cut illustrations.



...And of course, I can't leave out some of my favorite books about rabbits!


HOME FOR A BUNNY by Margaret Wise Brown (ages 4-8).  This was a childhood favorite of mine, about a bunny searching for a home, with softly colored illustrations by Garth Williams.

MARSHMALLOW by Clare Turlay Newberry. (ages 4-8) About a Tabby cat named Oliver, and a rabbit named Marshmallow. In Ms. Newberry's own words, "Every word of Marshmallow is true, even to the drawing of them wrapped in each other's arms. I know people find this hard to believe, but the bunny was so little and was so convinced that Oliver was his mother, what could Oliver do but be his mother the best way he could?


SEVEN LITTLE RABBITS  by John Becker. (ages 3 and up) This has got to be one of the CUTEST counting books I've ever seen! "Seven little rabbits walkin' down the road, walking down the road to call on old friend toad." Lots of repetition and rhyme, with beautiful pictures by Barbara Cooney.