FICTION

It’s Chinese New Year, Curious George

by Maria Wen Adcock (text) & illus. by Rea Zhai
HarperCollins/Clarion. (Curious George). Jan. 2023. 16p. Board $8.99. ISBN 9780358683643.
COPY ISBN
Toddler-PreS–Adcock and Zhai attempt to carry on Margret and H.A. Rey’s tradition in this board book, but the original prose was more successful than the limping rhymed verse here. Lines are randomly three or four beats with changing stress, making it difficult to read rhythmically. There are grammar oddities, such as “Red and gold is all around” on the last page. Words like commemorate, symbolize, sacrificed, and promenade will be challenging for the targeted age range. The art is attractive—the characters are faithful to the Rey originals; George is a bit furrier. Though the wider celebration of Lunar New Year is acknowledged, this book is solely about Chinese New Year.
VERDICT Consider other alternatives for board books about the festival,  such as Hannah Eliot and Alina Chau’s Lunar New Year, DK’s Baby’s First Chinese New Year, or Karen Katz’s My First Chinese New Year.
Reviewed by Patricia D. Lothrop , Dec 01, 2022

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