Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Family's Lunar New Year tale is a fun, detailed read-aloud.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
As a girl and her family get ready to celebrate in THE NIGHT BEFORE LUNAR NEW YEAR, they cook lots of traditional food, shop for new clothes, and decorate the house. She loves all of the fun with her family, but is nervous that the loud noises at the Lunar New Year parade will be too scary. While she celebrates at home, she thinks of a creative way to enjoy the fun of the parade without being nervous when she sees the dragon in the street.
Is It Any Good?
This is a wonderful story for those who regularly celebrate Lunar New Year and for those who are just learning about it. The Night Before Lunar New Year is full of warmth and great details about how families and communities celebrate, and the girl's worries about loud noises at the parade reminds readers that things can be hard even in the middle of happiness. Those familiar with the story The Night Before Christmas will see a similar beginning here: "‘Twas the night before Lunar New Year and all through weeks past … " which is a fun twist for families who celebrate multiple cultural traditions.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about ways they get ready to celebrate holidays with family, like the Chinese family in The Night Before Lunar New Year. How do you like to help? What is your favorite part of holidays?
Is there anything about celebrating holidays that makes you nervous? What do you do to make those times easier?
What other books about Lunar New Year have you read? Which are your favorites?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Illustrator : Amy Wummer
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Holidays
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Grosset & Dunlap
- Publication date : December 27, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 6
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Paperback, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate