Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
New Clothes for New Year’s Day
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 8
Kane/Miller, 2007 ISBN: 978-1933605296
A little Korean girl wakes up on New Year’s Day and she is very excited because today she gets to wear the new skirt and jacket that her mother made her just for this special day. First she puts on the bright red skirt with its wide white sash. Then she puts on her embroidered socks. Next she gently eases into her rainbow-striped jacket. Finally she completes the ensemble with a colorful headband, a red and gold hair ribbon, flowered shoes, a “warm furry vest with gold decorations, “and a winter hat.
When she is all dressed in her new finery the little girl looks truly lovely and soon she is ready to go outside in the “new snow” to wish her friends and relations a wonderful New Year.
This stunningly illustrated picture book is a joy to read and to look at. It perfectly captures the excitement the little girl feels about her new clothes which she has been waiting for so long to wear. The narrative and artwork is also infused with humor, showing the little girl struggling to put on her clothes just right. We all know how hard it can be to get socks on straight and how difficult hair ribbons can be.
At the back of the book the author provides her readers with further information about the Lunar New Year’s Day, about the clothes that are worn on this day, and about the significance of these clothes. She also includes an annotated picture of the little girl in her New Year’s splendor.
