Poetry Friday: celebrating the Lunar New Year

In honor of the Year of the Ox being celebrated around the world, I would like to share this wonderful poem written by Janet Wong. I love the way she combines simple images with complex ideas. See below for some picture books that might interest you about children celebrating the Lunar New Year.

Prayer for the Lunar New Year

by Janet Wong

This is the day
you grow another year wiser.

This is the day
you forget what you know to be impossible.

The moon loves to play a game.
Play.

Sweep your grudges out,
Scatter them to nothing.

Scrub your windows wide,
let the new year begin.

-- from: Days to Celebrate, edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins, 2005

Here are some good picture books to look into that explore celebrating the Chinese New Year:
- The Next New Year, by Janet Wong (at the Oakland Public Library)
- Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats, by Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz & The Children's Museum, Boston (at the Berkeley Public Library and Oakland Public Library)
- Sam & the Lucky Money, by Karen Chinn (at the Berkeley Public Library and the Oakland Public Library)



Poetry Friday celebrates poetry throughout the web. check it out!