Description
An older brother learns to crochet and crocheted a gift for his younger sister. Readers learn about the preparations for the New Year: cleaning the house, making paper decorations, and getting new outfits to wear. Most of the narrative focus on the actual New Year day as big brother tries to give his little sister the gift he made for her. However, every time he tries to give it to her, she is off either partaking in a celebration, or helping to prepare for the next activity. At last (at the end of the story) ha manages to give his grateful sister his precious gift.
The story line is very simple, but through it readers learn how traditional Chinese New Year is celebrated: the greetings, lucky money, visiting the grandparents, offerings for the ancestors, the lion dance, and the meal (along with the symbolism of each dish) at the end. The text is written to be read aloud, and has a sprinkling of Chinese words throughout. The back matter has translations of these words, traditional New Year dishes in other Asian countries and an introduction to the Chinese calendar. It is aimed at educators and younger readers with the intent of fostering cultural awareness.