Monkey's Sweet Surprise: A Lunar New Year Mix-Up

by Patricia Tanumihardja

A delightful Lunar New Year adventure inspired by the Vietnamese, Gurung, and Malay zodiac traditions—filled with friendship, teamwork, and delicious desserts!


Monkey's Sweet A Lunar New Year Mix-Up whisks young readers away to the Jade Empress’s grand banquet, where a charming cast of zodiac animals—including Mouse Deer (from the Malay zodiac) and Cat (from the Vietnamese Zodiac)—prepare their finest festive dishes. Determined to redeem himself after last year’s kooky catastrophe, Monkey sets out to make the Empress’s favorite pineapple tarts. But along the way, he discovers that the sweetest surprises come from helping friends and working together.


Set in a whimsical world inspired by these rich zodiac traditions, this beautifully illustrated picture book blends Southeast Asian cultural heritage, imaginative storytelling, and a deep love of food. Perfect for ages 4–8, it celebrates the spirit of Lunar New Year while sharing timeless lessons in friendship, teamwork, and forgiveness.

Genres: Picture Books, Holiday, Animals, Fiction, Childrens, Juvenile, Friendship

40 pages, Hardcover

Published December 30, 2025

About the author

Born in Jakarta to Indonesian-Chinese parents, Patricia grew up in Singapore feasting on her mother’s yummy home-cooking and reading voraciously. She has been reading and writing since she was wee high and was nourished on everything from Enid Blyton to Archie comics. Fairies, magic treehouses and high school angst–what a combo right? As an immigrant twice-over, she is brimming with stories to tell and hope that children of every creed and color—including her multiracial son—will see themselves reflected in books, whether hers or other #ownvoices authors.

Patricia lives in the Washington D.C. metro region with her husband and son where she writes children’s stories with heart and works on her other passion—food and cooking.

Reviews

[Lena Andrews]

we all work together and things can work out. what a wonderful story. the illustrations are adorable. it even has a recipe that I am going to try thank you.

[Rebecca]

This is an absolutely amazing book about the Lunar New Year, featuring animals not only from the Chinese Zodiac but also the Malaysian Zodiac. Not only is the story wonderful and will be captivating to a young audience, but the illustrations are gorgeous. This author/illustrator team is perfect together, and as we all know, that can make all the difference when it comes to children's literature. Even as we age, we still judge books by the illustrator, even if we say 'don't judge a book by its cover'. Really think people should remember to praise the illustrations more in these reviews.

I especially love that the author included information about the Lunar New Year, including your Zodiac sign by year. There is even a recipe included for Pineapple Tarts😋. I always love it when books include recipes.

Parents and educators alike will adore this book. At least until the children want them to read over and over again. Definitely would recommend this book!

[Lehel]

I received an ARC in exchange for this review.

A book about friendship, and how accountability can help make up for past mistakes. It's wonderfully iullustrated, and full of yummy Lunar New Year sweets!

[Ann]

A sweet story to celebrate Lunar New Year. The illustrations of animals from the Chinese and other Asian zodiacs are colorful and fun.
Thank you to Picnic Heist Publishing for the ARC.

[Janet Bruins]

What I loved most about Monkey’s Sweet Surprise is how Patricia Tanumihardja didn’t limit herself to only the familiar Chinese zodiac animals. By weaving in characters like the mischievous cat and the gentle mouse deer, she expands the cast in such a refreshing way. These additions draw from Gurung and Malay traditions, adding richness and depth to the Lunar New Year tale.

Monkey’s antics are funny and heartfelt, but it’s the interplay with the lesser-known animals that makes the story sparkle. The cat’s sly energy and the mouse deer’s quiet cleverness balance out Monkey’s exuberance, showing kids that there are many cultural stories and perspectives to celebrate.

Tanumihardja has created a picture book that feels both timeless and innovative—rooted in tradition yet open to a wider world of storytelling. It’s the kind of book that invites young readers (and adults!) to ask questions, learn more, and see how different cultures connect through the zodiac. A delightful, thoughtful addition to any Lunar New Year collection.

[Beth]

I received an ARC of Monkey's Sweet Surprise in exchange for this review.

Monkey's Sweet Surprise is such a cute and wonderful book about the Lunar New Year. I loved seeing all of the Chinese zodiac animals being represented. This book would make a great addition to your collection when teaching your little ones about this special celebration. I'm always looking for more books about the Lunar New Year! After you finish the book, you can even make some pineapple tarts just like in the story - which would make for a great extension activity! Tanumihardja provides readers with a story about friendship and that sometimes accidents happen - although the year before was a mishap for poor Monkey, it's important to own up to one's mistakes. 

[Stephanie Thode]

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. This is a cute little story involving the zodiac animals. The illustrations are nice with a sweet story about never giving up and to keep helping even when you make mistakes.

[Nicole Stanton]

The storyline was very cute, and the illustrations were stunning!
Note: I received a free advanced readers' copy of this book.

[Melanie Dulaney]

It’s Lunar New Year and everyone is excited about the coming banquet with the Jade Empress except for Monkey who is afraid he’ll have a repeat of last year’s disaster when he spilled food and caused a big mess. But his friends really want him to go so he decides to make up for his past mistake by making such a wonderful dessert that no one even thinks about it. As he starts on his pineapple tarts, his friends begin calling for help with ingredients and he’s right there to pitch in but that means his tarts are left unfinished. With great nervousness and empty hands, he heads for the banquet, sure everyone will be disappointed in him. To his surprise, the empress is pleased with his selflessness and because he brought everyone the ingredients they were missing, there is plenty of dessert to help them all celebrate together.

Bold, detailed illustrations abound in Monkey’s story and the variety of animals and desserts represent the way different countries celebrate the Lunar New Year. For those who are unfamiliar with the holiday traditions of many cultures around the world, back matter includes information about the celebration, the Chinese zodiac, the animals appearing on that calendar and the countries who typically enjoy each dessert. Also included is a recipe for the tarts that Monkey was unable to finish.

Monkey’s Sweet Surprise can be read simply for the pleasure of a good story but can also be incorporated into SEL lessons about cooperation, forgiveness, selflessness and more. Certainly it could be read when celebrating the holiday of Lunar New Year.

Solid choice for libraries serving Kindergarten thru grade 3.

[Jamie]

I received a free ARC of this book through Picnic Heist Publishing and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Monkey's Sweet Surprise is an adorable story about a monkey who wants to attend a Lunar New Year banquet but is embarrassed about what happened the year before. In the end he helps his friends and saves the day. The illustrations are wonderful and the story will engage anyone who reads it.

[Steena Hernandez]

Follow Monkey and his friends in this charming story that celebrates traditions of the zodiac and Lunar New Year. Bright and cheerful illustrations blend with engaging text to make this a fun, page-turning read aloud. The Lunar calendar, and delicious recipe included at the back of the book, add another sweet surprise. Readers will hold on to the message of friendship, kindness, and the importance of new beginnings.

[Richard Radgoski]

What a colorful book that tells the story of Monkey who is shy about going to the party without a gift. It tells a great story of friendship that will be easily understood by our younger readers. The artwork is top notch and I appreciate both the inclusion of an explanation of the Chinese New Year as well as the Pineapple Tart recipe!

Kudos!

[Reader]

So cute!! I bought this for my 7 year old niece and she loves it! Plus, the illustrations are so darn sweet. This is a great tool to help kids understand the Lunar New Year and what it all means in a super fun way. I am buying a second copy just to keep at my house for any other kids that come to visit. Love having kid friendly stuff around for them that I can also enjoy as an adult!

[D'Anne Mosby]

Monkey is afraid to attend the Jade Empress’ New Year’s party bc last year he spilled the meal all over her in the middle of his performance. He has avoided her and his friends ever since. But this year, he’s promised he will attend. So he begins to prepare pineapple tarts to bring as his contribution. But his friends are having trouble with their desserts. Monkey is always helpful, but will lending a hand to his friends mean he doesn’t get his own dessert made? Will he disappoint the Jade Empress again?

This book features the zodiac animal of the Chinese calendar and traditional food of Indonesia.

[Reader]

A sweet story to share with my two kids! Having grown up in an asian household, I always want to share similar stories I heard featuring animals from the Chinese Zodiac. The book also features charming illustrations to showcase each animal's individual personality.

I will definitely keep this in our rotation of Lunar New Year books!

[Maya]

Young readers and their caretakers will appreciate this Lunar New Year story about Monkey and his community of animal friends. "Monkey's Sweet Surprise" is not only a classic holiday tale, but a teaching about overcoming embarrassment and wanting to be valued, which is an unusual and worthy theme for children to encounter in a picture book.

(Spoilers, but keeping the review intact as the target audience of little ones won't be reading this.)

The story follows the familiar and well loved pattern of animal helper stories in which the central character, Monkey, busies himself in the preparations of the day to get ready for the Jade Empress' festival banquet. Feeling guilty about a previous mishap, Monkey decides to make the Empress' favorite dessert-- but he doesn't have the right ingredients, so visits his friends for help.

Positives to the story - For one, I like how the author, who grew up in Singapore to Chinese and Indonesian parents, talks in the Author's Note about how the story is influenced by a multitude of Asian cultures, including Japan, Malaysian, Nepal, and Vietnam. Also, who doesn't like reading stories about delicious food? In fact, I've marked down to find a recipe for those South Korean fried honey cookies. Bonus points: the recipe for pineapple tarts is included in the back of the book and looks easy to follow. Author Patricia Tanumihardja has several cookbooks under her belt, so we know she's a foodie too.

There was one drawback to me in the storyline. While the tale is meant to be a redemption arc, Monkey messes up the other animals' baking and while he does his best to fix his mistakes, doesn't apologize or acknowledge them verbally. Instead, praise is heaped upon him for his support, as the Jade Empress and other characters call him "a caring friend" and "helpful and kind."

That said, I fully acknowledge that there might be a cultural mismatch here for me as a reader in that my origin culture expects both words and actions in recompense for a mistake whereas Asian cultures may prefer actions as reconciliation and not need the recognition of words. In fact, Bonnie Lui's illustrations of Monkey rushing to fix his blunders are my favorites in the book. If deemed relevant by an adult reader, this can also be a point of discussion.

With appreciation to Picnic Heist Publishing for this free ARC.

[Royal]

An amazingly written and beautifully illustrated children’s story about Lunar New Year, Monkey’s Sweet Surprise is an endearing tale about friendship and helping others. For the Lunar New Year, each animal is partaking in the banquet held by the Jade Empress by making their own special dish. Monkey is self-conscious about attending because of a mistake he had made the year prior, but his friends encourage him to attend. He’s determined to put his best food forward this year and redeem himself. However, when his friends need help with procuring ingredients for their dish, he needs to make a decision on whether to focus on his dish or to help them out.

The author, Patricia Tanumihardja, did an excellent job of making the Monkey relatable. Although he is flawed and has feelings of self-consciousness, he always tries his best in uplifting his friends and also being uplifted by them. There aren’t many children’s stories that gives characters a chance to redeem themselves, and I thought this story did an excellent job.

I also enjoyed the last few pages that explained of the differences between different countries’ zodiac. For example, the animals in the Malaysian and Vietnamese zodiac for Lunar New Year are slightly different than in the Chinese zodiac. It was also fascinating to learn about the different traditional food that eaten for Lunar New Year, for each Asian country featured, and some of these dishes are featured in the story too. Another informative yet touching story to add to the Lunar New Year reading repertoire.

Special thanks to Picnic Heist Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest, independent review.

[Bridgitte Rodguez]

I’ve read a lot of books on Lunar Year— I used to teach preschool and it was a holiday that we discussed, planned activities for, etc. Not to mention that I always had kids in my class that celebrated the holiday with their families. I also used to attend the big parade in San Francisco’s Chinatown, every year I was in college.

In any case, I thought this book was a clever and unique take on the holiday! It wasn’t the typical Lunar New Year tale and I found it refreshing— not to mention, I learned some new things about the holiday traditions as well.

The whole time I was reading and following along with Monkey and the other cast of characters, I kept hoping there would be a recipe in the backmatter for the pineapple tarts that he is making! And to my sweet surprise— there was! It is of course now on my recipe making list.

Besides the recipe, the backmatter also includes an author’s note, detailing her connection to Lunar New Year, as well as some fun information about other cultures/countries that celebrate Lunar New Year, as well.

The illustrations throughout are fun and engaging, bright colors sure to mesmerize young eyes. Not to mention the fun characters themselves.

There are also a lot of layers in the story itself. Friendship, sharing, perseverance, helping each other out, and of course all the cultural elements both in the text and the illustrations.

If you want a new take on this holiday— check this one out. If I still taught preschool, I’d add it to my shelves!

[Jane Healy]

Children will immediately be drawn to the vibrant illustrations of the animal characters and the foods in this book, and they will most likely relate to main-character, Monkey, and his mistakes. He made a mess of his gift for last year's Lunar New Year celebration, and he wants to make up for it this year by making the Jade Princess's favorite treat, Pineapple Tarts. In the words of the book's refrain, "How hard can it be?" But he finds that he doesn't have all of the ingredients, so he visits his friends, who are making their own treats for the Princess. His generous friends give him sesame seeds, nuts, and honey, but then realize that they are missing ingredients themselves. Monkey rushes to help them, and then hurries home, but realizes that he won't have time to finish the tarts. He hates to show up at the banquet empty-handed, but he promised his friends that he would be there. When he apologizes to the Princess, his friends speak up for him because he helped them. The Jade Princess praises Monkey for helping create 3 desserts instead of one, and the friends all celebrate together. Themes of friendship, cooperation, resilience, and forgiveness are woven into the story. The author's back matter about the lunar zodiac will be of interest to adult readers and older children. Finally, children and adults can enjoy using the Pineapple Tarts recipe to create the Jade Princess's favorite dessert for themselves! After all, how hard can it be? ;)

[Rhyanna Ashton]

Monkey's Sweet Surprise: A Lunar New Year Mix-Up is a wonderfully written and beautifully designed picture book that offers a delightful introduction to Lunar New Year traditions and tales.

The characters are absolutely charming, and it’s heartwarming to see them support one another throughout the story. The illustrations are vivid and decorative, full of bright colors, intricate patterns, and expressive character designs. This is highlighted in the clothing and accessories of the zodiac animals.

The story follows Monkey, who is eager to redeem himself after spilling a dish at last year’s banquet. Determined to impress the Jade Empress with a special dish, Monkey runs into trouble when he’s short on ingredients and pressed for time. Along the way, he faces even more challenges as his zodiac friends need his help too.

In the book's final pages, there is an engaging Author’s Note that introduces young readers to the Chinese Zodiac and explains how Tanumihardja wove traditional tales together with her own cultural background. Families will also enjoy the bonus dessert recipe included at the end.

A joyful celebration of friendship, teamwork, and food, this book is highly recommended for families, educators, and librarians alike.

[Cathy Newman]

Cute book about a monkey who just wants to contribute something valuable to the Lunar New Year banquet but is afraid to join his friends after last year's mishap. The illustrations are really fantastic and fun, with bright colors and fun facial expressions sure to keep young readers engaged. The illustration style does a lot to enhance the kid-festive nature of the book.

I loved how in the end, Monkey was able to help out and his contributions were acknowledged by his friends. I also liked how his mistakes throughout the book were not explicitly pointed out, but rather only shown in the illustrations and left for the reader to eventually put the pieces together to discover what had happened, perhaps encouraging them to go back and find details they had overlooked before.

But I was left confused about how much or little Monkey actually realized about his mistakes. Did he not realize he had taken the wrong jar, knocked over the honey, and taken too many nuts? He never acknowledged this to his friends or apologized. I felt that especially for a book for young kids, this was a pretty important issue to leave unresolved.

Overall, I think this book would be a good addition to an early-elementary classroom or home library!

Thank you to Picnic Heist for the digital ARC.

[The Delulu Book]

Okay, I want to begin with the good things about this book, starting with the fact that it has so so so lovely illustrations, it's just so pretty, and its such a delight to look at.
As a bonus point you can watch out for details in every page, in a where's waldo kind of vibe and I love it.

Downsides of it, I strongly dislike the way the story develops, Monkey made a mistake last year and really wants to make up for it, so instead of planning ahead or brainstorming with the ingredients at hand he improvises something and messes up his friends desserts, he's pretty inconsiderate, a bit messy and a bit dumb, there were so many learning opportunities, like a simple smell test on the spices would have solved the issue and its a really fantastic way to show little ones how to approach things in the kitchen! Totally missed opportunity
Later he makes up for all the slips, so that's good, but i believe it should have been acknowledged.

If it was for my nieces, the ones I usually think about when reading children books, I would not give it to them.

[Lynn]

Thanks to Picnic Heist for my ARC.

I absolutely loved this children's book centered around the Lunar New Year!

In "Monkey's Sweet Surprise," Monkey lacks the enthusiasm for the upcoming celebrations for the Lunar New Year because of his previous year's mess-up. Nevertheless, our plucky monkey decides he will contribute to the feast by making pineapple tarts. However, when his animal friends need help with their own food creations, will Monkey step in to help or will he focus on redeeming himself by producing the best pineapple tarts ever?

In this charmingly illustrated picture book, Monkey has to make a tough decision that could set the tone for his new year. Though 2026 is NOT the year of the monkey, readers will root for Monkey to make the best decision possible.

Children will love helping grown-ups prepare pineapple tarts using the recipe provided at the end of the book and a short overview of the Chinese animal zodiac (as well as those from other Asian cultures) will help readers appreciate this wonderful celebration.

[Pam]

I received an electronic ARC from Picnicheist.
Brightly colored illustrations draw readers in before even looking at the text. The detailed artwork offers context clues to support the unfolding story. Monkey is worried as the Lunar New Year approaches. He is still embarrassed by an accident that happened last year and has avoided his eleven friends as they prepare. Readers see what happened in the illustrations one time. We see how he has let this build up into a major barrier to friendship rather than moving forward and reaching out. His friends welcome him and urge him to come to the party. Though he doesn't want to, he agrees and tries to make a special dessert to make up for the disaster last year. Readers see how many ways he helps his friends prepare while not getting his own tarts ready. I appreciate the kindness and support shown before and during the party. A lovely book for Lunar New Year and to open dialogue on supporting each other at difficult times.

[Read Ng]

This was a GoodReads giveaway win of a Kindle ebook. Read this in full color for optimal enjoyment.

I am not the target age, but I am Asian American and try to embrace more of my culture. This book is perfect for the grade school age child. I am going to share this tale with my Year of the Monkey daughter. She wants to learn to prepare a new Asian dish every Lunar New Year. The included recipe will be added to her list of foods to learn how to prepare.

I am just slightly disappointed that ALL of the zodiac signs were not given better cameos (and recipes), but that would have likely been a bit overwhelming for the target age group. None the less, it is inspiring me to look for more recipes to prepare this coming Lunar New Year.

I see that Tanumihardja has several other books to her credit. I will have to explore all of them in the coming months.

Have a GoodReads and enjoy this book with your family.

[Tonja Drecker]

With a little mishap and tons of heart, this is an cute read surrounding the Lunar New Year.

Monkey still remembers the horrible mess he made at last year's celebration and decides to hold back this time around. Instead, he busies himself by helping the other animals and brings them any ingredients they might be missing while creating their own parts of the celebration. Still, when the time comes, he's not sure how he'll be received.

This is an adorable tale with bright illustrations to bring the emotions across in a delightful way. Monkey's situation is understandable and his kindness inspires. There's a lovely sense of friendship and helping others mixed in as well. All of this mixes with the excitement of the celebration to create a grabbing, fast-paced read for young listeners to enjoy.

Thanks to the display of the zodiac animals, this also is a nice way to introduce readers to the celebration and add some cultural

[Diana]

3.5⭐️

I received an ARC of Monkey's Sweet Surprise in exchange for an honest review.

This book is perfect for little ones and the illustrations are super cute and colorful. I tend to choose kids books based on the art and I would have picked this one in a heartbeart.

I do wish Monkey had acknowledged he was the one who had messed up with the ingredients and wanted to set things right by collecting them for his friends, because from the story it just seemed it was a random act of kindness from Monkey.

The author notes at the end about the Chinese Zodiac and the Zodiac in other Asian countries was a plus.

[Bozhena Levine]

Thank you Picnic Heist Publishing for the advanced electronic review copy of this delightful book. This is a Lunar New Year story that includes traditional Chinese characters as well as some from the other Asian mythologies. It is a story of friendship, kindness, atonement, and forgiveness and is of a perfect length for young readers. The book also includes an author’s note about Lunar New Year and different Asian mythologies, as well as my favorite part — a recipe for the pineapple tarts! (Yum!) The illustrations are very colorful, detailed, appealing, and fun and I’m looking forward to sharing this beautiful story with my students.

[Suhasini Gupta]

Monkey's Sweet Surprise: A Lunar New Year Mix-Up, written by Patricia Tanumihardja and illustrated by Bonnie Lui, is a fun and heartfelt story inspired by the Lunar Zodiac animals. It follows a monkey who, in the middle of making his own dessert, selflessly helps his friends, ending up arriving at the banquet empty-handed. I loved the author’s note and the included pineapple tart recipe. The illustrations are colorful and vibrant, making this a delightful addition for young readers.
I received the ARC from PicnicHeist.

[TheRetiredSchoolLibrarian |Mrs. Ferraris]

Summary: Last year, Monkey messed up the Lunar New Year celebration and vowed to make it up this year by making pineapple tarts for the Jade Empress. However, he was unable to do so because he was busy helping three of his friends collect the missing ingredients for their dishes.

Comments: The back sections include a wheel of the twelve animals with their corresponding dates and a recipe for pineapple tarts.

This is a cute story to pair with a nonfiction book about the Lunar New Year.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗