Playing with Lanterns - by Wang Yage (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Zhao Di wishes the New Year would never end!

Zhao Di and her friends are excited to go out at night with their paper lanterns and celebrate Chinese New Year. Each holding a unique colorful lantern with a lit candle inside, they admire the breathtaking colors while doing their best to avoid the wind and the sneaky boys in the village. Every night, until the fifteenth day of New Year, Zhao Di and her friends take part in this fun tradition, experiencing the thrill of nighttime in their village. And then--it's time to smash the lanterns!

In this cheerful book first published in China, readers are invited along with Zhao Di and her friends as they experience all the joy and excitement of this folk Chinese custom. Details about the paper lantern tradition are also included in an author's note at the end of the book.

Review Quotes

"A colorful wintry tale ushers in Chinese New Year over two weeks...In a pivotal spread that shows Zhao Di sitting with her dog and chickens, readers are granted an interior view of the architecture and layout of a rustic farmhouse. In addition, the villagers' various clothing styles, headdresses, and skin tones suggest the region's diverse ethnicities and socio-economic landscapes...A charming illustration of childhood memories during the holiday season." --Kirkus Reviews

"Quiet, elegant passages stud the text...Tenderly detailed gouache paintings by Zhu render the children as small, patterned bundles frolicking against expanses of snow...A quiet celebration of a Northwestern Chinese tradition." --Publishers Weekly

"Zhu's illustrations feature Zhou Di and her friends bundled into soft, candy-colored shapes that glow as brightly as their lanterns against the silvery snow and chocolate night sky, while details of other New Year rituals and hints of rural village life background the girls' activities. An author's note expands briefly on setting and customs, making this an enticing addition to turn-of-the-year story times." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books