New Year by Mei Zihan and Qin Leng

In this beautifully illustrated older reader picture book, a father tells of his sadness that his adult daughter is not able to celebrate Chinese New Year in her own birth country. She has her own life in Paris with her husband and while the father is accepting of this, he feels it is important she returns home if she is able.

Throughout the story the father reminisces about his daughter’s childhood and her likes and dislikes. There are wonderful words and images of how Chinese New Year is celebrated but the overlying theme is that father is lonely and misses his daughter terribly.

This picture book is not one to be shared with younger children. There is a deep sadness and melancholy around it and those readers, who during the global pandemic were separated from family members over many months, will be able to relate to the story.

Themes: Celebrations, Chinese New Year, Separation, Family, Nostalgia.

Kathryn Beilby