Home for Chinese New Year = Huí jiā : a story told in English and Chinese

The Chinese New Year is a time for family reunions. This Chinese children's story tells a delightful trip with lots of cultural details along the way! Jia Jun's Dad worked out of town all year around. Now it's time for him to come home. He took a train, bus, three-wheeled motorcycle, ferry-boat and even walked for many miles. He finally made it home and had a reunion dinner with his family on New Year's Eve. On his trip, as Jia Jun's Dad was rushing to get home, he lost his apple, water, gloves and scarf, but he took very good care of his gift for his son. During the holiday season, Jia Jun was extremely happy as he was with his Dad all the time. They set off firecrackers, put up couplets and even made snowmen. In a few days, Dad was ready to head back to work, but it was certain that Dad would be home again next year to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his family.

Language Note:

PARALLEL TEXT IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE.

TEXT IN MANDARIN (CHINESE).

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	CHI EASY WEI	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove)	CHI EASY WEI	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	CHI EASY WEI	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	CHI EASY WEI	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

The Chinese New Year is a time for family reunions. This Chinese children's story tells a delightful trip with lots of cultural details along the way!

Jia Jun's Dad worked out of town all year around. Now it's time for him to come home. He took a train, bus, three-wheeled motorcycle, ferry-boat and even walked for many miles. He finally made it home and had a reunion dinner with his family on New Year's Eve.

On his trip, as Jia Jun's Dad was rushing to get home, he lost his apple, water, gloves and scarf, but he took very good care of his gift for his son.

During the holiday season, Jia Jun was extremely happy as he was with his Dad all the time. They set off firecrackers, put up couplets and even made snowmen. In a few days, Dad was ready to head back to work, but it was certain that Dad would be home again next year to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his family.

Author Notes

Wei Jie graduated with a Master's of Arts and is an editor of many children's books. Her books have won many awards including "Outstanding Children's Book of Chen Bochui International Children's Literature," "First Place of the Writing Award of the Hsin Yi Picture Book Award" and many more.

Xu Can is a member of the Art Association and also the Mural Association of Jiangsu Province. She has won many awards as well as published many picture books.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2-In order to return to his family for the New Year, Jiajun's father takes a train, a long-distance bus, a three-wheeled motorcycle, a ferry, and eventually a long walk through a heavy snowstorm. Along the way he loses an apple, his gloves, and other items, but not a very special present for Jiajun-readers will enjoy searching the illustrations for the missing objects. The child frequently checks in with his father via cell phone, appearing in small black-and-white drawings next to the warm watercolor illustrations showing the man's journey. Once home, the boy and his father celebrate the New Year and enjoy their time together until it's time to return to the big city far away where Jiajun's father works in construction. By centering on the long journey home, young readers will be reassured that faraway parents miss their children just as much as they are missed. The story is told in both English and Chinese (simplified characters) with a brief cultural note at the end. VERDICT A heartwarming tale about the lengths family will go through to be together during the holidays; this will find fans in most collections.-Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington County Public Libraries, VA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Set in the lead-up to the Chinese New Year, Wei's bilingual story follows a father's long journey back home to celebrate the holiday with his family-especially the son, Jiajun, who is eagerly waiting for him. Jiajun's father works at a construction site far from home; getting back requires taking a train, a bus, a ferry, and other vehicles, and the abundant snow isn't making the trip any easier. Throughout, he keeps in touch with Jiajun on his cell phone, his son asking him questions and letting him know what's happening at home ("Daddy, did you cross the Yangtze River yet?"). Despite the bustle and the crowds that he encounters on the trek, Xu's paintings have a wintry hush; Jiajun's father often looks quite weary (and he keeps losing things at various points along the way), but his determination to celebrate the new year with his family is just as evident. It's a quiet reminder of the lengths that parents will go to in order to avoid disappointing their children, especially around the holidays. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Publisher's Weekly Review

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