Summary
Dandan is struggling with moving away to America and fears she will not make any friends. She invited her friend Yueyue over to celebrate Lunar New Year’s together, they spend time making paper snowflakes together. As Dandan is saying goodbye, Yueyue gives her a stack of red paper and thread to keep. In America, Dandan made a new friend who she invited to celebrate Lunar New Year, just like she used to with Yueyue. They spend time sharing Dandans culture and cherishing each other’s friendship.
Theme(s):
Friendship, Culture, Tradition
Personal Response
I enjoyed reading this beautiful story of friendship and overcoming fears related to cultural differences. I was able to see myself relating to this book, when I was younger my family moved to America from Guyana and I remember having a similar fear of not making friends and just fearing that people could not like me. The theme of this book is definitely one that I think other children would be able to connect to and find comfort in.
Teaching Ideas
This book could be used at the beginning of the year, as that is a time where children are entering a new classroom community and are working on making friends. This story could be used as a way to facilitate a conversation around friendship and accepting other people’s cultures. Teachers could have students work in pairs to learn one or two facts about their partner and then share it with the class community.
Recommended Reading Level
Grade 01, Grade 02
