Lunar New Year has been celebrated for thousands of years in countries around the world. People spend the last 15 days of the lunar year cleaning, preparing, and repaying debts. A special feast is prepared on the eve of the new moon. The first 15 days of the new year are then celebrated with dances, firecrackers, and parades. Lunar New Year 2025 begins on Wednesday, January 29th and celebrates the Year of the Snake. Here are some recommended Chinese New Year books and activities for your classroom.
Be sure to request a printable copy of this list so you can easily share it with your students.
Amazon
1. Year of the Snake: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac Written by Oliver Chin
In this story, Susie the Snake is a young and adventurous creature. A girl named Lily befriends Susie, but her grandparents disapprove. Susie goes on a mission to disprove others’ negative stereotypes and opinions about snakes.
Activity: According to the 12-year cycle of the lunar zodiac, the Chinese year starting in 2025 is the Year of the Snake. After reading the book, have students create an accordion snake out of paper. Have students write at least three facts on the Snake’s Wings about what they learned about the Year of the Snake or the Chinese Zodiac.
Buy: Year of the Snake: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac
Amazon
2. Tomorrow is New Year’s Day: Korean New Year Celebration, Seollal (written by Aram Kim)
Mina is excited to share Seollal, or Korean New Year’s customs, with her school friends. Her younger brother may also join in the sharing. Join Mina and her brother as they explore Korean New Year traditions.
Activities: Lunar New Year is celebrated in various communities in Asia and South Asia. Follow the instructions at the back of the book to learn how to make a Korean bokjumoni (lucky bag) using construction paper and origami.
Buy it now: Tomorrow is New Year’s Day: Seollal, South Korea’s Lunar New Year celebration
Amazon
3. Dragon Dance: A Book to Lift Up the Chinese New Year, by Joanne Holub.
This riveting book explores many of the traditions of Chinese New Year celebrations. Experience these traditions by shopping at the outdoor air market, having a Lunar New Year dinner, receiving a red envelope, and participating in the Lunar New Year parade.
Activities: Dragon dancing is usually performed during Chinese New Year celebrations. Have students create their own dragons using toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls and construction paper. Then use this video to have your students practice performing the Dragon Dance using a dragon.
Buy: Dragon Dance: A Book to Lift Up the Chinese New Year
Amazon
4. Wren’s Sweet New Year by Michelle Starling
Young Ren is looking forward to celebrating Chinese New Year. However, Ren is always sad that people think he is too young to help make the pineapple cake. As she watches her family prepare the cake, she wonders when she will be able to help. In this story, learn more about Ren and her family, how to bake a traditional pineapple cake, and other family Lunar New Year traditions.
Activities: To celebrate Lunar New Year, Taiwanese people often celebrate by baking and eating pineapple cake. After reading the story, follow this recipe to make your own pineapple cake. If you can’t incorporate food-related activities into your classroom, have your students research and learn about other traditional Taiwanese dishes.
Buy: Wishing Len a Happy New Year
Amazon
5. Tet Together by Alice Trinh
This book explores the different traditions of Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. This holiday includes many important family traditions rooted in reflection and time spent together. Learn more about the preparations that take place for Tet and the many festivities that follow.
Activities: Tet is the Vietnamese New Year. After reading the story, have students choose their favorite tradition described in the book, research that tradition, and write or draw a picture to illustrate that tradition. Create a classroom book with entries for each student.
Purchase: Tet Together
Amazon
6. Lucky Red Envelope by Vicky Chan
This up-and-coming book is told from a child’s perspective and explores the many rituals of Chinese New Year, including hongbao. Join families as they prepare their homes for Lunar New Year, watch fireworks, bake dumplings, and watch lion and dragon dances. The back of the book contains information about the Chinese Zodiac.
Activity: In Chinese tradition, red envelopes (hongbao, hóngbāo) are given to children during Lunar New Year to symbolize good fortune and fortune for the year. Have students make their own red envelopes out of construction paper and write three to five wishes for next year and place them in the envelopes.
Buy: Lucky Red Envelope
Barnes & Noble
7. Celebrate the Korean New Year! Written by Michelle W. Park
Madeline and Eloise participate in the preparations for the family’s Lunar New Year party. Madeline teaches her sister how to prepare everything from wearing traditional Hanbok to making mandu (Korean dumplings).
Activities: Korean New Year (Seollal) is filled with many traditions. After reading the book, choose one activity from the book to do with your class. You can collect fabric to make a colorful costume called hanbok, make mandu, Korean dumplings, and even find or create your own yutsunori, a traditional board game.
Buy it: Celebrate the Korean New Year!
Amazon
8. Welcome the new year by Grace Lin
Newbery Medal winner Grace Lin takes a peek into the lives of Chinese-American families as they prepare for the Lunar New Year. The whole family helps sweep away the dust from the old year, put up decorations and make dumplings for the big feast. This is followed by a celebration with fireworks, lion dances, sparkling lanterns, and a long dragon parade.
Activity: This book explores the different traditions of Chinese New Year celebrations. Have your students make lanterns and have a lantern parade!
Buy it and start the new year
Amazon
9. Chinese New Year Colors by Rich Lo
Learn about the different traditions of Chinese New Year with this bilingual book. This book introduces each color, including the Chinese characters, in English and Chinese, along with illustrations of important items and events in Chinese New Year traditions.
Activity: This bilingual book introduces students to the many traditions and words associated with Chinese New Year. After reading the book, create a class dictionary of the words and traditions you learned. Have your students write the word in both English and Chinese and help them find the corresponding kanji writing. Ask each student to explain a word or tradition.
Purchase: Chinese New Year Colors
Amazon
10. Friends Are Friends, Forever by Dane Liu
Set in Northeast China, this book explores the friendship between two children. Dandan and Yueyu spend one night together before Dandan moves to America. Find out how these two friends celebrate their traditions and make memories before parting ways. A great book to discuss immigration and friendship.
Activity: This story focuses on the traditions that the friends share. After reading the story, ask each student to write and draw one New Year’s tradition that they would celebrate with their friends and family.
Buy: Friends Are Friends Forever
Get my book list!
Click the button below to get your favorite Chinese New Year related books. Then start the Lunar New Year activities listed above.
