Home for Chinese New Year

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.)