Lunar New Year usually falls on the second new moon after Winter Solstice. In 2025, it will be Wednesday, January 29, close to other mid-winter celebrations like Brigid and Groundhog's Day, nods to the seasonal turn toward Spring.
Ping's Perfect Pot, for four-to-eight-year-old readers, starts with a tangerine tree — said to bring prosperity and good luck — that Ping and her grandfather buy at the market. Ping wants to make a pot for it, but her efforts keep falling short of her expectations: one pot looks too clumsy, another crumbles, a third is too flimsy to hold dirt. Ping's grandfather encourages her to keep trying, with comments like, "A perfect pot takes a bit of trial and error."
Zihua Yang's colorful, eye-catching illustrations keep the festive spirit alive even as Ping struggles. And what sets this book apart from many others about dealing with imperfection is that Ping winds up using every one of her pots in a meaningful way, leaving readers with a sense that our efforts never need be wasted.
Two pages at the end of the book describe Lunar New Year traditions and customs in further detail, giving special attention to how diverse celebrations can be in cultures as different as China, South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and communities around the world with Asian roots. An Author's Note wishes readers a New Year "filled with endless possibilities and creations that bring joy to your heart."
