Ruby's Chinese New Year

by Vickie Lee, Joey Chou (Illustrator)

Overview

In this picture book by Vickie Lee celebrating Chinese New Year, animals from the Chinese zodiac help a little girl deliver a gift to her grandmother.

Ruby has a special card to give to her grandmother for Chinese New Year. But who will help her get to grandmother’s house to deliver it? Will it be clever Rat, strong Ox, or cautious Rabbit? Ruby meets each of the twelve zodiac animals on her journey. This picture book includes back matter with a focus on the animals of the Chinese zodiac.

- GODWIN BOOKS -

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250133380
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	12/26/2017
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Vickie Lee is an acupuncturist and Chinese medicine practitioner. Vickie graduated from Columbia University with a dual degree in East Asian Studies and English Literature. She was inspired by her daughter, Ruby, and their shared love of animals and of Chinese culture to create this story. She lives with her daughter and her husband in Brooklyn, New York. Vickie is the author of Ruby's Chinese New Year.

Joey Chou was born in Taiwan and moved to sunny California in his early teens. There he received his BFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Joey works by day as a visual development artist on feature animated films, and by night as a picture book illustrator. His books include Hello My Name Is... and Ruby's Chinese New Year.

Editorial Reviews

2017-10-28
If Grandmother can't come for Chinese New Year, Ruby will bring Chinese New Year to her!Ruby, a brown-haired, gray-eyed, freckled girl, decides to visit her grandmother, who is "unable to travel." In keeping with their traditions, Ruby draws a beautiful picture of their celebrations as a gift for Grandmother, and she starts off on her trek. Along the way, she meets Cat and Rat, Ox, Tiger, and Rabbit, and many more who decide to join her. Ruby eventually gathers all of the animals in the Chinese zodiac, added cumulatively and in their correct order, who help her manage a mishap and, in the end, contribute toward the Chinese New Year feast with Grandmother. The relationship between Grandmother and granddaughter is sweet, but the obstacles between them don't ring quite true—why can't Grandmother visit? Why does Ruby jump into a pond instead of walking around it? Perhaps the most compelling piece of this story is the backmatter, the "Legend of the Chinese Zodiac," indicating that Ruby's journey is a retelling that can't quite stand alone. Chou's digitally painted art brings color to the story, but it also mirrors the text's lack of depth and richness. The book's inclusion of instructions for three related activities will please crafty readers and educators.Another Chinese New Year book perhaps worth adding for its extras. (activity instructions) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews