New Year Surprise!

Age range 6 to 9

Little Brother is told by his brother and his friends that he's too small to help out at the Spring Festival. He's too little to fly a kite, and he's not strong enough to hold a dragon pole. But Father says he has a special job to do. What can it be?

He knows it's not hanging the lanterns, as Father has already done that. He knows it's not choosing the treats from the hawker, as Father has already chosen a duck. He knows it's not serving tea or lighting firecrackers as he did those jobs last year.

Follow Little Brother through the village to find out what his special job is.

New Year Surprise! by Christopher Cheng, with paintings by Di Wu, recreates the magic of celebrating New Year in snowy rural northern China. Di's stunning artwork reflects Chinese traditional techniques, using rice paper, Chinese brushes, and the colours of traditional paintings.

At the back of the book, read about some of the different festivals held in China and learn about the rural setting of the book. Images from the National Library of Australia's collection illustrate this section.