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.

THREE TIMELESS STORIES ABOUT FAMILY... SET IN CHINA

Some books are childhood treasures and these certainly qualify.  I remember my mother reading them aloud to me and I, in turn, read them to my kids...I think these stories are timeless because it's comforting for children to know that, even in worlds far different from their own, family is family.

The Story about Ping (Reading Railroad Books) by Marjorie Flack, illustrations by Kurt Wiese (ages 4-8). A "there's no place like home" story of a little duckling who gets left behind on the shore of the Yangtze River in China.  Like Dorothy, he is eventually reunited with his family - "mother, father, two sisters, three brothers, eighteen uncles and aunts, and forty-two cousins", after going through a series of adventures, almost being made a duck dinner, and finally being rescued by a boy.  Beautiful text by Marjorie Flack.  Kurt Wiese lived in China and his illustrations bring the story to life.

Tikki Tikki Tembo Retold by Arlene Mosel, Illustrated by Blair Lent (ages 4-8).  In this book, you will meet a boy with a very long name - "Tikkitikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari runchi-pip peri pembo" - who falls down a well.  His younger brother has trouble calling out his long name in time to save him, but luckily there is an Old Man with a Ladder...nice pen and ink and wash drawings - and a great read aloud!  (Practice first!)

The Five Chinese Brothers (Paperstar) Retold by Claire Huchet Bishop, illustrations by Kurt Wiese (ages 4-8).  This tale is about five brothers who live with their mother by the sea, look exactly alike, but have different and extraordinary powers.  They must each use their own unique power to save the first brother from being unfairly put to death.  If your kids like the movie, THE INCREDIBLES, they'll love this book!