Emma's American Chinese New Year

 About the Book:

Emma’s American Chinese New Year depicts a six-year-old girl, adopted from China, as she and her family prepare for the Lunar New Year, which occurs every January or February. Illustrations of moon cakes, Chinese lanterns, red envelopes and a local CNY celebration by Chinese artist Soon Kwong Teo add color and gaiety to the rhythmic cadence.

Meadows wrote Emma’s American Chinese New Year as a way to recognize those families that have been created through international adoption.

She explained, “Having watched parents in the Chinese adoption community embrace their children’s heritage and help them participate in and understand the traditions of their birth country, I thought it was important to provide those children with a book that reflects them and what makes them so special.”

Awards:

Bronze Medal winner in the Holiday category of the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards

About the Author: 

As a freelance feature writer for more than a decade, Amy Meadows has penned over a thousand articles during the course of her career. The topics she has covered range from health features and community spotlights to biographical profiles and how-to articles. She also has worked with corporations of all sizes to help them develop an array of marketing materials and has contributed to more than a dozen hardcover pictorial books about small and mid-sized cities throughout the country.

Meadows holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication and a Master of Arts degree in Professional Writing from Kennesaw State University. She was inspired to write her first children's picture book after the adoption of her niece from China. For her, Emma's American Chinese New Year serves as a way to recognize families that have been created through international adoption and honor the efforts that adoptive families in America make to observe the Chinese New Year with their children, integrating the special heritage of those young adoptees into their everyday lives.

You can find out more about the book and learn more about the Chinese adoption community at http://www.emmainamerica.com

Connect with the author:

Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/738sdlu

Twitter: @emmainamerica

My Review/Thoughts:

My blog readers know that adoption is a topic dear to my heart.  My friend Jean adopted an adorable little boy who is only a few months younger than my daughter and they are best buddies.   When the author approached me about reviewing this book, I was excited to read it and lend my support.

This story opens up a discussion between parents and their children about Chinese culture.  It specifically offers a chance to connect with a beautiful tradition of celebrating the Chinese New Year in America.  This is an important resource for parents with adopted children.  But it also is a wonderful addition to a family or classroom library celebrating diversity.

The illustrations are bright and engaging for younger readers.  My daughter was intrigued by the beautiful red tones and the Chinese dragon.  While she may not be old enough to understand the concepts, she enjoys hearing the rich language and pointing to the characters.   I know I will enjoy sharing this with her as she grows to understand more about different cultures and holidays.

I hope that the author considers making Emma a series to explore other Chinese traditions! 


Where to Purchase:   You can find Emma's American Chinese New Year on Amazon.

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book for the purposes of review.  Thank you to Amy Meadows for the review copy.  All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.