• Dara’s Cambodian New Year by Sothea Chiemruom, illus. by Dam Nang Pin. (1992) Ages 5-9
  Dara, who lives with his Cambodian refugee family, worries about his grandfather as the new year approaches. How will he celebrate chnam thmey so far from home? To cheer him, Dara presents him with paintings of altars, Buddhist temples, and the Cambodian countryside.
• Goodbye Old Year, Hello New Year by Frank Modell. (1984) Ages 3-7
  Marvin and Milton plan to ring in the new year just as the clock turns twelve, but they need a nap before it’s time. When they sleep through their alarm and miss the midnight celebration, they decide to celebrate at dawn, instead...much to the chagrin of the sleeping neighborhood.
• Happy New Year, Everywhere! by Arlene Erlbach, illus. by Sharon Lane Holm. (2000) Ages 5-9
  Maps, activities, and greetings in different languages show how the new year is celebrated in cultures around the world. Just a few of the holidays represented are Enqutatash in Ethiopia, Homowo in Ghana, Nouruz in Iran, and Tet in Vietnam.
• Happy New Year! Kung-Hsi Fa-Ts’ai! by Demi. (1997) Ages 4-8
  Brightly-colored pages are filled with ideas for celebrating the Chinese New Year: cleaning the house, lighting firecrackers, thanking ancestors and Buddhist gods, and cooking a feast.
• My First Chinese New Year by Karen Katz. (2004) Ages 2-5
  Each custom associated with the Chinese New Year is explained in this simple book, which includes one Chinese phrase and a note explaining the holiday in more detail.
• On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by Cathy Goldberg Fishman, illus. by Melanie W. Hall. (1997) Ages 4-8
  A little girl who is just old enough to understand customs like Tashlich and tzedakah celebrates the Jewish High Holy Days. Suitable for a comprehensive lesson (there’s a glossary of Hebrew words), this book would also work well simply to convey the themes of atonement and renewal.
• P. Bear’s New Year’s Party by Paul Owen Lewis. (1989) Ages 2-6
  A polar bear has a formal party and invites all his black-and-white animal friends. As the hours pass on New Year’s Eve, they arrive in groups: five pandas at 5:00, eight Dalmations at 8:00, etc. The black, white, and red illustrations keep this counting book spare and effective.
• This Next New Year by Janet S. Wong, illus. by Yangsook Choi. (2000) Ages 4-8
  A Chinese-Korean boy celebrates the lunar new year, while his Mexican and French friends host their own parties with take-out Thai food and other quirky traditions.

        You can download the booklist as a pdf.