Young Reading: A magical start to the Year of the Ox

The bright costumes and delicious food every year at Wake Forest University's celebration of the Chinese New Year make for one of our favorite events. This year rings in the "Year of the Ox" for Wake Forest's 10th annual festival, to be held from noon until 3 p.m. on Saturday at Wake Forest's Reynolds Gym.

Arts and crafts activities entertain kids while educating. Chinese dance demonstrations and performances are eye-catching and colorful ... and free! So, gung hay fat choy! We hope to see you at Wake Forest. Until, then here are some books to get your celebration started as the Year of the Ox begins tomorrow.

Reviewed by Hannah:

BRINGING IN THE NEW YEAR. By Grace Lin. Random House. Ages 3-7. $15.99.

This cute, colorful story tells of three sisters and their family celebrating the Chinese New Year with friends and relatives with lots of food and bright fireworks. Dragons and lions come and dance, scaring the youngest sister. Colorful lanterns light the way for the New Year to finally come.

LUCKY NEW YEAR! With Flaps, Pop-ups, and More! By Mary Man-Kong. Random House. Ages 3-8. $9.99.

Lenny and Lili help their parents celebrate Chinese New Year. Lili helps her mother sweep while Lenny decorates the house with tangerines and oranges. They eat noodles and dumplings with their family and watch colorful fireworks afterward. Chinese dragons parade through the streets with lion dancers. This colorful picture book helps children learn about the Chinese culture in a fun, interactive approach.

Also read THE PET DRAGON: A Story about Adventure, Friendship, and Chinese Characters. By Christoph Niemann. HarperCollins. Ages 4-8. $16.99.

THE MAGIC PILLOW. By Demi. Simon & Schuster. Ages 7-10. $19.99.

Ping, a young boy in China, and his family are very poor. His prize possession is his little black horse, which he rides everywhere. One day, Ping rides into the mountains to collect firewood. It begins snowing, and Ping soon realizes that he will not be able to return home. Luckily, Ping finds an inn nearby. Another guest is a magician who makes dragons appear out of his pocket and diamonds grow on a tree. The disappearing diamonds make Ping very sad when he remembers his own family's meager income. The magician takes pity on Ping and lends him a magical pillow to grant Ping all his wishes. Ping gratefully takes it and immediately falls asleep, dreaming of money and power. When he wakes up, Ping realizes fame and fortune are not as great as they seem. The beautiful Chinese art in this folktale transports the reader to ancient China.

Reviewed by Monica:

LANG LANG: Playing with Flying Keys. By Lang Lang with Michael French. Random House. 240 pages. Ages 9 and up. $16.99.

Lang Lang's story and dedication to the piano transcend the frivolous honor of his having been named one of People magazine's 2008 Sexiest People Alive. A Chinese child prodigy with a demanding father fixated on his son's success, Lang Lang has spent more hours practicing the piano than can be computed. Born in 1982, this international musician has become the pop star of classical piano and altered the classical music scene dramatically. This is a fascinating biography and an excellent selection for musicians, parents or anyone determined to find success.

THE DRAGON'S CHILD: A Story of Angel Island. By Laurence Yep with Dr. Kathleen S. Yep. HarperCollins. 132 pages. Ages 8-12. $15.99.

I was a child when introduced to the masterful Dragonwings by Laurence Yep, and I was pleased to read the story influenced by Yep's family coming to America in The Dragon's Child. Yep and his niece Kathleen Yep uncovered family stories to compile a work of fictional glimpses into America's history.

In The Dragon's Child, 10-year-old Gim Lew is recruited by his father to come to the United States, where Gim Lew's father lives and works. Lung Gon, the father, comes home infrequently and has taken Gim Lew's older brothers to the United States to work. Lung Gon is treated like a rich ruler in their impoverished village. When he announces that he is taking Gim Lew to America, everyone worries that Gim Lew is too young.

Gim Lew must learn every detail that immigration officials could ask. The questions are painstaking and sometimes border on ridiculous (how many windows does your neighbor three doors down have in his house?). Yet officials look for any slip that could prove disastrous for the immigrants. Gim Lew, a stutterer, is determined to find success for his father.

The Yeps create a story that shows a complex relationship between a father and a son and the son's startling realization that his father is not as mighty or as important as his village believes and tackles the injustices of Chinese immigration without becoming maudlin. As in the Yep tradition, another masterpiece.

Also read AUNTIE TIGER. By Laurence Yep. HarperCollins. Ages 5-8. $17.99.

■ Monica Young and Hannah Young can be reached at cyoung9@triad.rr.com. View book reviews at the Journal in Education site at www.jie.journalnow.com.