With Tata's “Reading Around the World” book picks, younger patrons and their families will enjoy reading about the different cultural celebrations around the world. Easy holiday Picture Books and easy Folklore stories will introduce young readers to the world outside the U.S. This month you can learn about Chinese New Year. Simply click on a title or cover to place it on hold.

Chinese New Year is celebrated according to the Lunar Calendar and falls on Saturday, January 25 this year. This begins the Year of the Rat. The Rat is considered the first animal of the Chinese Zodiac. Therefore, the Year of the Rat is the year of new beginnings.

The Dragon's Tale and Other Animal Fables of the Chinese Zodiac, Retold and Illustrated by Demi
“In this stricking colume, Demi introduces each of the Chinese zodiac's 12 animal symbols by retelling the fables associated with them.” – Publishers Weekly

The Great Race: Story of the Chinese Zodiac, by Christopher Corr
“In this picture book telling of the origin of the Chinese zodiac, The Jade Emperor realizes that he needs a way to tell time. In order to name the years, he announces a race for all the animals…Corr's distinctive folk-art style gouache illustrations are fun, bright and bold.” – School Library Journal

D is for Dragon Dance, by Ying Chang Compestine
“In this alphabetical celebration of the Chinese New Year, a boy and a girl prepare for the festivities with their family. Each page or full spread, representing one letter, includes such headings as ‘A is for Acrobats,' ‘I is for Incense,' and ‘P is for Peking Duck.' One -to-two sentence subtitles under some of these headings explain the traditions.” – School Library Journal

Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas, by Natasha Yim
“In this clever picture-book retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Chinese New Year starts with Goldy Luck's mother asking her to bring turnip cakes to their panda neighbors, the Chans. Goldy heads next door, promptly spilling her plate of turnip cakes as she walks in the front door; from there, things unfold as might be expected.” – School Library Journal

Happy Chinese New Year, Kai-lan!, by Lauryn Silverhardt
“This story, based on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon series, introduces children to the Chinese New Year. Kai-lan and her friends are getting ready for a big celebration…The cartoons are bright and colorful. Kai-lan and her grandfather are the only human characters; the rest are cuddly, anthropomorphic animals.” – School Library Journal

Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac, by Ed Young
“Cat and Rat are best friends until the emperor holds a race to determine which twelve animals will have a year named after them in the Chinese calendar…Darkly hued, abstract pastels on rice paper and white type on a black background create a sinister interpretation of this traditional tale.”—Horn Book