Published by Henry Holt and Co.

Summary:  Dandan finds out her family is moving just days before Lunar New Year.  She and her best friend Yueyue try to enjoy every moment of the celebration.  They stuff themselves with Nainai’s delicious dumplings.  When the grown-ups start to play cards, the two girls make red paper snowflakes, put them in pans of water, and set them outside, where they see fireworks in the night sky.  The next morning, they hang their frozen snowflakes from trees, and Yueyue gives Dandan red paper to take with her.  Dandan struggles in her new home, feeling lonely as she tries to learn English.  Her classmates laugh at her when she wears a silk dress on her birthday, but one girl, Christina, compliments the dress.  Soon the two girls are friends, and Dandan invites Christina over for Lunar New Year.  She pulls out Yueyue’s gift, and the girls make snowflakes and put them in the freezer.  The next morning, they hang them on a tree outside, and Dandan remembers Yueyue’s parting words, “Friends are friends, forever.”  Includes an author’s note about Lunar New Year and her own experiences moving from China to the U.S. and instructions for making snowflakes.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A heartwarming story of immigration and cherished friendships in the old home and the new, just in time for Lunar New Year (today).  The cartoon-style illustrations add a light note.

Cons:  Kids might struggle to cut paper that’s been folded four times, as per the snowflake instructions.

February 1, 2022 at 05:06PM Janet Dawson