12 Books About Chinese New Year

Take a journey with us through a celebration filled with family, history and rich tradition, thanks to the magic and wonder of story with this collection of books about Chinese New Year.

These handpicked titles are not only brimming with tales of the Chinese zodiac, feasts and fireworks, but also provide an engaging introduction to the rich culture and traditions of this popular Asian holiday, celebrated by more than two billion people worldwide.

So settle down with your toddler, snuggle up with your preschooler or cuddle close with your kindergartner and enjoy a story (or five!) from this collection of Chinese New Year books for kids.

And follow up with a fun game of Concentration with our free printable Chinese New Year Memory Matching Game.

12 Kids Books About Chinese New Year

Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas by Natasha Yim With themes of friendship and forgiveness, the classic story of Goldilocks is given a Chinese New Year themed edit in this fun story featuring turnip cakes, congee and futon beds. Available: Amazon

Ruby’s Chinese New Year by Vickie Lee Will Ruby be able to deliver her special card to her grandmother in time for the New Year? With the help of the twelve zodiac animals on the journey, she might just make it! Available: Amazon

Dragon Dance by Joan Holub Through a simple story, brightly colored illustrations and interactive page flaps, Chinese New Year is beautifully introduced to preschool and kindergarten age children. Available: Amazon

Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin With simple text and bright illustrations, Bringing in the New Year introduces many common traditions acknowledged during Chinese New Year celebrations. Available: Amazon

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Maisy’s Chinese New Year by Lucy Cousins A sweet introduction to Chinese New Year to share with younger readers as they join Maisy and her friends in celebrating the occasion with a feast, fireworks and even a dragon dance! Available: Amazon

Lunar New Year by Hannah Eliot A beautifully illustrated exploration of the wonderful traditions observed by many families who celebrate the Lunar New Year – from feasts to fireworks, with dragon dances and mythical creatures, this is a wonderful resource for teachers and families to use in learning about holidays from different cultures. Available: Amazon

A Sweet New Year for Ren by Michelle Sterling Ren’s family love to come together to cook, decorate and prepare for the New Year celebration but Ren has always been told she is too little to help. She would especially love to help make the delicious pineapple cakes, as they are her favorite holiday treat! Will Ren be big enough this year? Available: Amazon

The Night Before Lunar New Year by Natasha Wing & Lingfeng Ho It’s the night before Lunar New Year, and our narrator is excited for all of the celebrations to come. The dumplings are made, she has a new dress, and she has even helped scare away the mythical beast Nian! There’s only one problem – the loud noises at the upcoming Lunar New Year Parade. Will she overcome her fears? Available: Amazon

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Chloe’s Lunar New Year by Lily LaMotte An important story of family and tradition as readers share the holiday with Chloe’s family in Taiwan – laying out oranges, decorating red envelopes and even making crispy turnip cake! Available: Amazon

How to Catch a Dragon by Adam Wallace Set in China during the Spring Festival, otherwise known as Chinese New Year, this wily dragon will have to avoid trap after trap as the How to Catch kids run through paper lanterns, red lunar envelopes, fireworks, and more! Available: Amazon

The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Ling Lee and Eric Lee A retelling of the traditional tale of the animals of the Chinese zodiac and their order, shared in Mandarin Chinese, Pinyin and English. Available: Amazon

Playing with Lanterns by Wang Yage Zhao Di and her friends are excited to go out at night with their paper lanterns to celebrate Chinese New Year. Once each lantern is alight with a candle inside, they admire the breathtaking colors while doing their best to avoid the wind. Every night, until the fifteenth day of New Year, thefriends take part in this fun tradition, enjoying the thrill of nighttime in their village. And then, it’s time to smash the lanterns! Available: Amazon