The Chinese New Year Helper - by Ying Chang Compestine (Hardcover)

About the Book

Jia, eager to help with Chinese New Year preparations at her family's restaurant, is disappointed when told she;s too young--until she unexpectedly becomes a vital part of the lion dance performance.

Book Synopsis

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!

Review Quotes

"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

"A fun plot twist in the middle gives the second half of the book a fresher feel. Vibrant, detailed illustrations carry much of the weight in the story and allow readers to experience the Chinese New Year preparations and festivities in a culturally intimate way. A solid Chinese New Year tale with delightful illustrations." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Ying Chang Compestine grew up in Wuhan, China during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, which she has written about in her acclaimed novel Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party and her picture book memoir, Growing Up Under a Red Flag. She graduated from Central China Normal University with a degree in English, then earned her Master's in Sociology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is an award-winning author of 25 books (fiction, picture books, and cookbooks), a leading national authority on Asian culture and cuisine, a former food editor for Martha Stewart's Whole Living magazine, and has taught writing and sociology in both the U.S. and China. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband.

Ginnie Hsu is an illustrator and educator living in Upstate New York. Her work is often inspired by everyday life, nature, and her upbringing in Taiwan with her grandparents. When she is not in her studio, you can find her gardening, working at a local flower farm, or hiking with her husband and their dogs.