A New Year's Reunion: A Chinese Story    by Yu Li-Qiong & Zhu Cheng-Liang Order:  USA  Can Candlewick, 2011 (2011) Hardcover Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Bob Walch My name is Maomao and I live with my parents in China. My father works on construction jobs away from our home so my mother and I see him only at the Chinese New Year. In this picture book you'll see how my family celebrates the New Year and what my father and I do together when he is at home. After he gives my mother and me the gifts he brought for us, my dad helps my mom make sticky rice balls and he places a lucky coin in one of them. He also does chores around the house like painting the front door, changing light bulbs and repairing our windows. During the New Year's celebration we visit friends, watch a dragon parade and light firecrackers which pop! When we eat the sticky rice balls guess what? I find the lucky coin! Unfortunately, eventually my father has to pack his bag and return to his job far away. That makes me sad but I give him a special gift to take with him. When you read my story you'll see what that special gift is. You'll also see that the man who did the illustrations for my book used a lot of red. That's because red is a popular color that is used a lot during the Chinese New Year celebration, because it symbolizes happiness, joy and good fortune. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews