Ruby's Chinese New Year

by Vickie Lee, Joey Chou (Illustrations)

In this picture book celebrating Chinese New Year, animals from the Chinese zodiac help a little girl deliver a gift to her grandmother.

Ruby has a special card to give to her grandmother for Chinese New Year. But who will help her get to grandmother’s house to deliver it? Will it be clever Rat, strong Ox, or cautious Rabbit? Ruby meets each of the twelve zodiac animals on her journey. This picture book includes back matter with a focus on the animals of the Chinese zodiac.

Genres: Picture Books, Holiday, Childrens, Animals, Cultural, Storytime, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

Published December 26, 2017

Reviews

[Sue Winson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was quite excited when I found this book. I couldn't see many children books around focusing on the theme of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, so I thought this book would be a great opportunity to introduce 23-month old little-AJ to the legend of the 12 zodiac animals and the Chinese New Year tradition. Little-AJ loves the bright and lively illustrations, and happily pointing out all the animals in the pictures with smile.

But I find this book quite a disappointment. The presence of the cat is a distraction and serves no purpose in the storyline (apart from being the only one fallen asleep when the real celebration started). Each of the animal joining the trip to visit grandma on the way, but any of those animals can be easily replaced by some other animals, and it won't affect the storyline at all. The story doesn't say much about the traits and characters of any of those animals. There is no exciting twist or turn or suspense in the storyline. I find this a really boring story and an easily forgettable one.

I read the legend of the Chinese zodiac when I was young, a really interesting story about how the 12 animals raced and competed to win a place in the Chinese zodiac calendar, and how the rat used its wit and cunningness to claim itself the first spot amongst the 12 animals (and henceforth forming an everlasting enmity with the cat who got cheated a place by the rat in the process). It was a really memorable story, and I was hoping this book would be something similar or even better.

But unfortunately, the storyline of this book is a disappointment, although we can still read a summary of the exciting legend at the end of the story. I like the summary at the end of the book where it introduces each of the animal and certain characters associated with those persons born on a particular year of the animal (eg those that were born in the year of rat are known to be clever, curious, love to eat and stay up late, and have great talent for writing; whereas those from the year of horse are carefree, love to travel and have fun, and solve problems quickly).

The illustrations are awesome, bright, beautiful, and attracted the attention of kids immediately. I wish these could be accompanied by a better story.

Blog review here: https://storypleasemummy.wordpress.co...

[Colona Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby want to visit her Grandma...and runs into all the animals that are a part of the Chinese new year!! The illustrations in this were really colorful and adorable. The story is a simple tale where she meets all the animals and they decide to visit grandma. There is more information about the animals, Chinese new year, and a few crafts in the back of the book! Happy Year of the Dog (2018) ~Ashley

[Alex Baugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

When her grandmother gets sick and can't make it to Ruby's house to celebrate Chinese New Year, Ruby decides to bring the celebration to her. After carefully drawing a picture of her family sitting at the table eating traditional New Year's food, Ruby tucks it into a red envelope and sets off to visit her grandmother. Along the way, Ruby runs into all the animals in the Chinese zodiac who accompany her to grandmother's house. This is an appealing introduction to the Chinese Zodiac and highlights the importance of sharing the New Year with family. Back matter includes the legend of the zodiac and what each animal represents. There are also instructions for three craft activities - a lantern, a fan, and a good luck banner. The colorful, humorous illustrations are digitally painted.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

This Chinese New Year story is super cute. The plot of visiting Ruby's grandmother with a gift and all her animal friends was incredibly charming. The incorporation of all the zodiac animals was really well done and serves as an excellent learning tool. The illustrations are super cute.

I definitely enjoyed this one, and I recommend it to anyone in need of a picture book for the Lunar New Year.

[Michele Knott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read that includes the animals in the Chinese zodiac. Do not miss the information in the back of the book to add context of the Chinese New Year.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruby's grandmother cannot come for the Chinese New Year celebration this year so she creates a special gift to take to her. Along her journey she is joined by all of the Chinese Zodiak animals. Together, they arrive at grandma's home and celebrate together.
Beautiful, colorful illustrations bring the story to life.

[June Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this new picture book about a young girl's adventures as she travels to visit her grandmother for Chinese New Year. Along the way, Ruby encounters all twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac along with one extra guest. I promise not to spoil the story by sharing the details with you. Just read it for yourself to find out why I believe children will love this book!

This story is reminiscent of the well-loved and treasured folk tales 'The Gingerbread Man' and 'The Little Red Hen'. Rhyme, rhythm, and repetition are keys to a young learner's engagement with a book, and this one has all three of those elements.

The illustrations by Joey Chou are colorful and vibrant. I loved his choice of colors for the animals and their surroundings. The small details he adds to each character and the scenes enriches the story. His depiction of a Chinese New Year celebration is captivating.

As a bonus, the author and illustrator included three craft projects for youngsters to complete. There are stepped-out instructions for a paper lantern, paper fan, and good luck banners accompanied by an illustration of each craft.

I would highly recommend this book for classroom teachers, librarians, parents/grandparents, day care providers, and other adults involved in multi-cultural education for young children.

I borrowed this book from the 'New Book' shelf in the children's section of the local public library.

Read my full review on my 'Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic' blog at: https://authorjunemccraryjacobs.blogs...

######

[Taylor Galloway · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruby and her Grandmother celebrated Chinese New Year together every year, but Grandmother could not travel this year. So, Ruby decided that if Grandmother could not come to her, she would go to her Grandmother. Ruby set off to her Grandmother's house with a special gift. Readers are taken along the journey to Grandmother's house, and along the way, Ruby encounters the animals of the Chinese Zodiac, and they join her on her travel. At the end of the story, we see Ruby, Grandmother, and the animals of the Chinese Zodiac gathered around a table to celebrate Chinese New Year.

The illustrations in this book were digitally painted in Adobe Photoshop. Throughout the story, we see colorful and vibrant images depicting Chinese New Year traditions. On the story's last page, where readers see Ruby, Grandmother, and the animals of the Chinese Zodiac gathered around the table, we can see paper lanterns, paper dragons, and traditional Chinese food scattered across the table. The illustrations throughout the story are all double-page spreads; I believe the illustrator chose to do this since each illustration is very captivating and creates a scene of its own.

This is a great story that could be used to introduce students to celebrations around the world, such as Chinese New Year. Due to the author's and illustrator's add-ons, after the story, students can be introduced to the legend of the Chinese Zodiac, as well as how to make a paper lantern, paper fan, or a good luck banner. I think these extra add-ons would work great in a classroom during a lesson focused on celebrations/holidays around the world.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

PreS- Gr 1- Chinese New Year’s is a time for family to get together. Sadly, this year, Ruby’s grandmother isn’t able to come, and yet, instead of accepting this, Ruby decides to draw a letter and deliver it herself. Along the road to her grandmother's, this bright young girl meets animal after animal who decide to join her. Their journey does present an obstacle, but thanks to cooperation and generosity, it all ends in celebration. Readers will be able to languish in the warm-hearted tone of this story through the book’s festive colours, and pleasantly rounded shapes. Lee very naturally weaves New Year’s traditions into the narrative, demonstrating their inclusion, even if their importance isn’t explained. While this story about a girl going to see her grandmother is original, it does incorporate elements from the zodiac myth; not only do the animals appear in their numerical order, the role of the river, and the cat’s misfortune are also recounted. Some extra information about the Chinese New Year and the zodiac is included in the back. There are also a few easy-to-make crafts. VERDICT An inviting adventure about the Chinese New Year, and the importance of spending it with family and friends.

*reviewed for School Library Journal

[Kayla Angeletti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet book and I loved reading it! If you don't know anything about the Chinese new year think you will be just as shocked as me at The end! The theme of this book is basically about a girl going to visit her grandma to celebrate the Chinese new year with her all of bringing animals with her. Just a reminding me of the Wizard of Oz, will tell she was meeting all of the animals on her way to the house just like Dorothy! You may be wondering why she is with meeting all of these animals just like me, but then at the end you come to find that the book shows your Chinese zodiac sign according to all the animals introduced in the book. They even give mini activities to do in the back of the book as well! I will keep this book in my classroom!

[FM Family · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute one that introduces Chinese new year and the animals of the zodiac. Very nice touch at the end having some activities and information about the different zodiac animals, the years they represent, and the sort of origin story of the zodiac. As a read-aloud it was VERY repetitive - listing progressively more and more of the animals on each page, with a lot of Ands in between. I feel like my 4 year old liked that but for me, I found it a drag to read and it made me want to avoid the book. But if you aren't planning to read it over and over (as I ended up doing since my kid really enjoyed it) it's a good way to learn a lot about Chinese new year through story.

[Linda (bythebellbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If grandmother can’t come for Chinese New Year, Ruby will bring Chinese New Year to her! In keeping with their traditions, Ruby draws a beautiful picture of their celebrations as a gift for Grandmother, and she starts her trip. Along the way, she meets Cat and Rat, Ox, Tiger, and Rabbit, and many more who decide to join her. Ruby eventually gathers all of the animals in the Chinese zodiac, who help her manage a mishap and, in the end, contribute toward the Chinese New Year feast with Grandmother.

The instructions that are at back of the book for three related CNY activities will please crafty readers and educators.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a perfect introductory read for the Chinese Lunar New Year, Ruby's story is perfect.
Ruby has the perfect gift for her grandmother. So she journeys across lands and a river, joining up with animals (who are on their own ways to celebrate the New Year) to be with her Grandmother. Can she make it their with her perfect gift?

The illustrations are so vivid in color and a delight in elegance and whimsy. It's impossible not to smile while reading this journey story of family-togetherness and holiday meaning.

P.S. Check out the animals' legend at the back of the book as well.

[Erin *BookDragon_Library* · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are lovely. The storyline doesn't do much if you are looking for anything other than a list of the animals in the Chinese zodiac. Even then it is confusing because a cat is one of the first two characters introduced and it isn't a zodiac animal yet is along for the whole journey and falls asleep at the end. There are no character traits associated with the animals talked about which feels like a missed opportunity to go deeper in to the zodiac meanings. It is basically just a girl walking from her house to her grandmas to bring her a card and they have gathered some traditional Chinese New Year celebration things along the way like lanterns and streamers. The back of the book has a paragraph on the history of the zodiac and a list of the animals and birth years and 6 - 10 word description but it makes less of an impression than if the characteristics were woven in the text. There are some crafts like a paper lantern and paper fan and good luck banners with written directions but no pictures so (for me) the craft would be hard to follow.

[lemonM · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book introduces the 12 zodiac animals, which is a fun idea for people new to the Chinese zodiac. But the story confused me. It talks about the animals but doesn’t explain why they appear in pairs or their order. The role of the cat is also unclear.

I thought it would retell the classic zodiac race story, but it went in a different direction. It mentions the zodiac but doesn’t explain much about its background or meaning. The pictures are lovely, and celebrating Chinese New Year is a nice theme, but the story could be clearer and more helpful for learning about the tradition.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby decides to take a trip to see her Grandmother to celebrate Chinese New Year. Along her trip, she meets up with the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac who travel along with her (except for Dog and Pig who are already at Grandmother's house.)

An note in the back details "The Legend of the Chinses Zodiac." There are also instructions in the back detailing ow to make a Chinese paper lantern, a paper fan and Good Luck Banners.

[Aolund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby sets out to celebrate Chinese New Year at her grandmother's house, and meets all of the animals of the Chinese Zodiac along the way. Each brings their own skills to bear on the journey, and this makes a great cumulative tale of celebration and community.

Themes: Celebrations, Stronger Together, Animals
Age range: 3-10

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hoped this was going to be about celebrating Chinese New Year, but it is more about the Legend of the Chinese Zodiac. It's a cute story and could be fun for 1st and kinder if I decide I want to talk about the Chinese Zodiac as part of our Chinese New Year lesson.

Story: 3
Illustrations: 4
Read-aloud: 3

[Vivian Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to stumble upon this English language children's book talking about the Chinese New Year. However, the incorporation of the 12 zodiac animals along with the main plot, which is pretty much Little Red Riding Hood without the wolf, did not work. It's cute, but it did not have much to do with the holiday, celebration, or family.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a nice way to introduce the twelve Chinese Zodiac animals to kids. Illustrations are extremely bright and go from edge-of-page to edge-of-page without white borders, which I love. A nice real aloud for Chinese New Year. With repetition, which is always fun.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruby is trying to get to grandma's house for Chinese New Year and along the way she meets lots of animal friends who are part of the Chinese Zodiac Calender. love the afterward adding tot he characters in the book. Elementary and up

[Dawn Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm excited to share with my students before the next Chinese New Year (follows the lunar calendar, based on the movement of the moon. Usually, it falls on a day between mid-January and mid-February).

[Madison LibraryBookFamily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby’s grandmother can not come to the family feast so she sets off to her house with a gift. Along the way she meets the animals of the Chinese zodiac. They walk with her and help her when her gift for Chinese New Year gets accidentally ruined.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice story to help explain parts of the Chinese New Year. Wished it had some more info and kids lost some interest with how long the story was and the repeating of the animals every time new ones were added.

[Jay Daily Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is such a cute story... I loved it so much... It's a simple story of a young girl going to visit her grandmother while all the Chinese zodiac signs (including the CAT!) I love this... but it can be a little long for younger audiences.

[Eggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations and it was so fun seeing all the Chinese horoscope animals work together to help the little girl get to her granny. Yummy dinner scene at the end with cute drawings of traditional Chinese foods and snacks on the table.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was too cute. As a lover of cats who grew up reading Fruits Basket, I loved that the Cat was included in this story, as well as the inclusion of the myth of the Chinese Zodiac at the end.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The animals from the Chinese zodiac help Ruby with a delivery.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thought it was going to be a Going on a Bear Hunt kind of book. I liked the little fun fact at the end about why cats don't like water and are enemies of rats.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and informative intro to this holiday.