This book is written and beautifully illustrated by the Chinese New Year. The pictures and colors in the book capture the essence of Chinese culture. The author does a great job of teaching children about Chinese zodiac signs, how Chinese people prepare for the New Year, and why they eat particular kinds of foods on New Year's Day. There is so much symbolism throughout the book that is great for a younger reader. ( )

This is really a plotless, lifeless set of lists and descriptions, though the illustrations are appealing and energetic. This isn't the book I'd use to introduce my kid to Chinese New Year. ( )

Happy New Year! educates us on the different symbols that have significant meaning for the Chinese New Year. Also, it tells us what each Buddha, messenger, heavenly being, gift, and plant stands for when celebrating the new year. It tells about the important symbols, such as the dragon that is used for the celebration. ( )

I enjoyed reading “Happy New Year!” for three main reasons: the language, the illustrations, and the writing style. This book is a unique informational book that teaches children about the Chinese New Year celebration. The illustrations display colorful images of all of the festivities. The illustrations show pen-drawn sketches of Chinese boys and girls who prepare for the special holiday. The language is extremely descriptive in terms of the preparations for the celebration, the kinds of foods they cook and eat, and the kinds of decorations they create. The book also tells of the long dragon creation (and the dancers that hide underneath the dragon), the lanterns the people create, and the fireworks that the people use for the parade. The book explains how the Chinese people pray to their Gods during Chinese New Year for good fortune and for their ancestors. The writing is very organized because the book starts and ends in the same sequence as the holiday itself. This book also teaches readers some Chinese words. I learned how to say Happy New Year (Kung-His-Fa-Ts’Ai) in Chinese. The big idea of this story is to teach children about the fascinating Chinese New Year holiday. ( )

Although I usually enjoy Demi's work, I found myself mostly indifferent to this picture-book about Chinese New Year, probably because it was less of a story, and more of a series of lists. Here the young reader can learn about the signs of the Chinese Zodiac (arranged by year, rather than month), the preparations necessary for the New Year festival, the many traditional greetings, the gods and heavenly beings associated with this time, and the meaning of different gifts, foods, and flowers.

This is all interesting information, but I found the presentation a little overwhelming, and Demi's trademark illustrations - with their use of gold tones, and a multitude of tiny figures - weren't enough to save the experience for me. I can readily believe that other readers will enjoy this more than I did (indeed, I hope they do!), and that it would make an excellent resource for elementary-school students, but my overall feeling is that there is too much information here, with not enough synthesis and explanation. ( )