Long-Long's New Year: A Story About the Chinese Spring Festival
Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 2–Long-Long and Grandpa bicycle to town to make money to celebrate the Spring Festival. As Grandpa unsuccessfully tries to sell his goods, the boy takes the bike to a shop for repairs. While he waits, Long-Long helps the repairman pump tires and earns a yuan for his efforts. He also leads a street cook to Grandpa's cabbages and soon the vegetables are all sold. After buying provisions for the festival, Long-Long purchases small gifts for his family, watches a holiday procession, and enjoys a toffee fruit treat, and the two return home just in time to celebrate. The final spread includes the legend of "The Very First Chinese Spring Festival," as well as a glossary of Chinese words. Gower's simple, appealing story aptly captures the details of the festival as well as specifics of Chinese life. Zhihong's softly colored, detailed drawings on tan rice paper evoke both the bustle of a preholiday marketplace as well as the gentle warmth shared by grandfather and grandchild. Children will relate to awestruck Long-Long and his excitement for the pending celebration. Many picture books about the Chinese New Year focus on a Chinese-American child's experience. This attractive volume will add depth to any holiday collection since it is one of the few titles set in China.–Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.