Playing With Lanterns



Bibliography
Yage, Wang, 2017. PLAYING WITH LANTERNS. Ill. by Zhu Chengliang. New York, NY: Amazon Crossing Kids. ISBN 9781542029841.

Plot Summary
Zhao Di is looking forwards to celebrating Chinese New Year with her friends and family in their village. She loves the traditions each new year brings, celebrating this special time in the beginning of the year for fifteen days. Zhao Di is excited for the fifth day, when her uncle brings her paper lanterns. With the paper lantern in hand, Zhao Di and her friends light the lanterns each night, walk around the snow filled village with her friends, and watch the fireworks, until they reach the fifteenth day. On the last night, the paper lanterns are smashed, in order to bring good luck for the year. Although the celebration was over, the New Year memories fulfill Zhao Di and keeps her eager for next year's festivities.  

Critical Analysis
Wang Yage has beautifully captured a traditional folk Chinese custom and transformed it into a sweet, meaningful story children can relate to. Young children always look forward to the memorable celebrations of holidays, just as the main character Zhao Di is excited to celebrate Chinese New Year with her friends and family. Yage has written a detailed story about how this family celebrates the New Year in fifteen days, how each day has a specific agenda to follow, certain customs to practice for good luck, etc. Young readers will enjoy learning about the tradition of the paper lanterns, seeing the joy it brings the children, smashing the lanterns to avoid bad luck, and how to appreciate the special memories made. Life skills are practiced throughout the story, such as patience and acceptance, when the New Year ends. At the end of the story, the author's note informs readers of the traditional Shaanxi custom of "smashing lanterns", traced back to the Han Dynasty and a more detailed explanation of how Chinese New Year is celebrated.

Zhu Chengliang's illustrations bring these special paper lanterns to life with their bright colors and unique patterns. Despite the story taking place at the beginning of the year, during a dark, cold winter, the cheerful colors coming from the fireworks, children's winter clothing, lanterns brighten up the story. The illustrations do a great job of portraying the rural village in North China, the decor inside and outside of the homes authentically capturing the culture in this town. A beautiful story paired with unique illustrations, giving readers an authentic understanding of this special tradition during Chinese New Year.

Review Excerpt(s)
Starred review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: "A charming illustration of childhood memories during the holiday season."
Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "This work will foster discussions of unique traditions and is a good addition to holiday collections." 

Connections
- A great activity for young students would be to create paper lanterns and decorate them to express their individualities. 
- Young readers will appreciate learning about folk Chinese culture and will enjoy this sweet, lighthearted story of Zhao Di's celebration.
- For fans of Chengliang's illustrations, they will appreciate the bright, watercolored illustrations portrayed throughout the story.
- Similar book recommendations:
Sterling, Michelle, 2022. A SWEET NEW YEAR FOR REN. Ill. by Dung Ho. ISBN 9781534496606
Yan, Mo, 2024. EL VENDAVAL/THE GALE. Ill. by Zhu Chengliang. ISBN 9786075576374

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