  | Grumpy New Year Author: Moore, Katrina | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
Daisy, a young Chinese American girl, is excited to be celebrating the Lunar New Year with her Yeh-Yeh in China, but at first she is too grumpy from lack of sleep to enjoy the activities he has planned. Includes recipes for fried Jiao Zi (dumplings) and Eight Treasure Rice. Follow-up to Grandpa Grumps.
| Illustrator: | Yan, Xindi |
Reviews:
School Library Journal (+) (12/09/22)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 09/15/2022 Daisy is so excited to spend Lunar New Year with Yeh-Yeh (Grandpa) in China that she can’t sleep. Not on the long plane ride and not for the first few nights either. There is too much to see! But Daisy’s sleeplessness gives her a big case of the grumps, making it hard to enjoy all the fun activities Yeh-Yeh has planned, from kite flying to ink painting to singing karaoke. Eventually, the little girl conks out, awakening in time to help Yeh-Yeh prepare delicious zong zi. After some house cleaning, Daisy rides to a bustling market on the back of Yeh-Yeh’s bike, where her bad mood finally gives way to smiles and laughter. The night before New Year is filled with family, food, and dancing, and the big day joyously rolls in with a parade and fireworks. Moore structures her story as a 10-day countdown, and Daisy’s big, conflicting feelings are entirely relatable. The holiday preparations and celebrations come to life in Yan’s illustrations, which integrate humor and cultural details. Appended recipes truly make this a treat. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 12/09/2022 K-Gr 2—The Lunar New Year is 10 days away. Daisy knows this will be the best one yet, because she gets to spend it in China with her grandpa, Yeh-Yeh. Daisy does not want to miss anything, so despite being advised to sleep on several occasions, she stays awake instead. Over time, Daisy exhibits ever-increasing levels of grumpiness. When the big day finally arrives, Daisy worries that her behavior will lead Yeh-Yeh to second guess his choice to celebrate with her. This vibrant picture book elegantly blends a reverse counting scheme with many of the traditions surrounding Lunar New Year. The narrative itself is written for a young audience, especially as it focuses on the events that lead to Daisy's less-than-ideal behavior. However, there are moments within the text that require inferences to be made—these will engage older readers as well. Dynamic illustrations accompany the narrative, not only providing a visual representation of the myriad foods and activities surrounding this holiday, but also giving readers an excellent, balanced visual experience on each page. From endpaper to endpaper, Chinese traditions, foods, and language are infused within the book. Young readers from all backgrounds will appreciate the universal effects of fatigue and the rich details of the story. VERDICT A superb celebration of the Lunar New Year, particularly accessible to young elementary aged readers.—Mary Lanni - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
