Best Children’s Books About Lunar New Year (2026)

Finding the best children’s books about lunar new year gets easier once you match the book to the child: some families want a read-aloud story about Chinese New Year traditions, and others want a board book a toddler can hold or a bilingual book that teaches a second language. We compared ten books by listed reading age, print length and what each description covers, from dragon parades to Seollal and Tet, so you can pick the right one for your reader.

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The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	Bringing In the New Year	9.8/10	Buy
2	Our Lunar New Year	9.8/10	Buy
3	How to Catch a Dragon	9.8/10	Buy
4	Lunar New Year (Board Book)	9.8/10	Buy
5	Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas	9.7/10	Buy

1

Bringing In the New Year

Grace Lin·9.8/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A Chinese American family prepares for Lunar New Year: sweeping, decorating, dumplings, and a dragon parade with a surprise fold-out page.

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Pros

• Tailor-made for reading aloud, per the description
• Surprise fold-out dragon parade page at the end
• Covers real preparations: sweeping, decorations, dumplings, new clothes

Cons

• Reading age is marked as from customers rather than stated by the publisher
• Reprint edition from 2010, so the art style is older than the newest picks
• The dragon parade fold-out is a single spread, not the whole book

2

Our Lunar New Year

Yobe Qiu·9.8/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

Xiao Mi and her family celebrate Lunar New Year, then the book travels through Vietnamese, Korean, Thai and Indian traditions too.

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Pros

• Widest cultural coverage: Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Indian
• Broad reading age of 2 to 8 years fits siblings of different ages
• Follows one family's celebration before touring other cultures

Cons

• Publisher is listed as the author's own imprint, not a trade publisher
• Description reads like marketing copy, so preview a sample first
• 2nd edition from 2019, older than several picks here

3

How to Catch a Dragon

Adam Wallace·9.8/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

The How to Catch kids chase a dragon through Chinese New Year celebrations, with Mandarin translations and bonus educational content in the back.

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Pros

• Part of the How to Catch series; the description lists bonus educational content and Mandarin translations in the back
• Mandarin translations and bonus educational content in the back
• Chases through lanterns, red envelopes and fireworks

Cons

• Reading age is marked as from customers rather than stated by the publisher
• Part of a long series, so a fan will want more books
• The trap-building plot is sillier than educational

4

Lunar New Year (Board Book)

Hannah Eliot·9.8/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A board book introducing Lunar New Year traditions, with artwork by Chinese illustrator Alina Chau, from the Celebrate the World series.

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Pros

• Board book format survives toddlers
• Artwork by Chinese illustrator Alina Chau
• Introduces lanterns, fireworks and dragon dances simply

Cons

• Reading age is marked as from customers rather than stated by the publisher
• At 24 pages it is the shortest pick here
• Board book format means a simple text, not a full story

5

Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas

Natasha Yim·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

Goldilocks retold in a bustling Chinatown at Chinese New Year, with back matter on the holiday and a turnip cake recipe.

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Pros

• Funny Goldilocks retelling set at Chinese New Year
• Back matter on Chinese New Year plus a turnip cake recipe
• Plucky heroine who takes responsibility

Cons

• Reading age is marked as from customers rather than stated by the publisher
• Retelling assumes the reader enjoys the Goldilocks twist
• Reprint edition from 2015

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More picks to compare

• The Night Before Lunar New YearAges 4 to 6, Night Before series, a girl overcomes parade-noise nerves.Check on Amazon
• The Magic of TetBilingual Vietnamese-English, ages 3 to 7, read-aloud about 3 to 5 minutes.Check on Amazon
• Tomorrow Is New Year's DayKorean Seollal, ages 4 to 6, bilingual edition with pronunciation guide.Check on Amazon
• Happy Chinese New Year!Counting story, baby to 3 years, red and gold foil cover.Check on Amazon
• The Very Hungry CaterpillarTabbed board book, ages 1 to 3, Eric Carle art.Check on Amazon

Compare the picks

Book details as published on each listing, collected 17 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs fit for the holiday topic, the listed reading age, bonus content such as translations and recipes, and edition quality. Every listing gives a reading age; several mark it as from customers. The top scores went to books that cover real Lunar New Year traditions with content matched to a clear age band.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best children’s books about lunar new year

Match the reading age to your child

The listings give reading ages from 1 to 8 years. A board book like Lunar New Year (Celebrate the World), listed at 1 to 5 years, suits toddlers who will chew and drop it, while How to Catch a Dragon, listed at 3 to 8 years, suits a preschooler or early reader who can follow a longer story. When the listing marks the age as from customers, treat it as a guide rather than a guarantee.

Pick the culture the family celebrates

Most of these books center on Chinese New Year, but a few go wider. Our Lunar New Year covers Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Indian traditions in one book, while Tomorrow Is New Year’s Day focuses on Korean Seollal and The Magic of Tet on Vietnamese Tet. For more picture books by theme, browse all picture books.

Before you buy

• Check the format: the Celebrate the World and Very Hungry Caterpillar titles are board books, built for babies and toddlers.
• Look for bonus content: some listings include translations, recipes or glossaries that add value at gift time.
• Compare the listed reading age with your child’s age, and read the description for how the traditions are presented.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which book is best for toddlers?

The Celebrate the World board book lists a reading age of 1 to 5 years, and the Very Hungry Caterpillar board book lists 1 to 3 years. Both are built for small hands.

Which books cover cultures beyond China?

Our Lunar New Year covers Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Indian traditions. Tomorrow Is New Year’s Day focuses on Korean Seollal, and The Magic of Tet on Vietnamese Tet.

Do any of these books have bonus content?

How to Catch a Dragon lists Mandarin translations in the back. Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas includes a turnip cake recipe, and Happy Chinese New Year explains the traditions in the back matter.

Which book is the longest?

How to Catch a Dragon and Tomorrow Is New Year’s Day both list 40 pages, the longest print lengths here.

Still deciding? Our top pickBringing In the New Year

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