I liked this book because I relate to Moy-Moy's closeness with her older brothers. I loved the protective older brother characterization as their younger sister began school in a a new country. I liked the reality in this book of adjusting to a new culture. It is not easy to adjust and this book shows the difficult transition. The family experiences culture shock as their youngest daughter begins preschool which is nothing like what they know from China. Nevertheless, the family learns to celebrate Chinese New Year in their new home and their neighbors are surprising open to accepting the Chinese culture. The big idea of this book is to be proud of your home culture and do not hide it! Also, there is a focus on family bonds which every culture can support. ( )

Summary: This book tells about the every day life of Moy Moy, a Chinese American preschooler. The book tells about how she spends her days and then focuses on Chinese New Year's celebration. It tell about traditions such as the children's parade and The Dragons in the parades, and Gift giving.

Review:
I gave this book a high rating because it is well written. I actually learned a lot about this Holiday while peering at what a small child might experience it as. The books does tells us a lot about the holiday but it focuses on the little girl. For example when the author first introduces the reader to the tradition of having a "lion" or "dragon" in the parade, he does so by telling a story about how Moy Moy was, at first, afraid of the dragon. The book is written in simple vocabulary but it works well with the content and the perspective of the main character.
I also really enjoyed the illustrations in the book. They complemented the story well. For example there was an illustration of Moy Moy with her head inside the "lion" inspecting it and one of her carrying a lamp at the parade that really stood out because they when with the story so well. They are also very colorful and, while not as abstract as some of the ones found in newer books, they did have an interesting angle to it, like the way the illustrator drew the firecrackers as yellow stars surrounding the "Dragon" with everyone, including Moy Moy watching from above. The scene was a little chaotic but I felt like that was very intentional on the illustrator's part. ( )