Sam and the Lucky Money [Hardcover]

Karen Chinn (Author), Cornelius Van Wright (Illustrator), Ying-Hwa Hu (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Anticipating spending his gift of Lucky Money on Chinese New Year's day, Sam accompanies his mother to Chinatown, where he watches a dancing New Year's lion, visits many colorful and good-smelling shops, and learns a special lesson.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It's Chinese New Year in Chinatown, and young Sam has four dollars of New Year money burning a hole in his pocket. As he and his mother are milling through the crowded streets--alive with firecrackers, lion dances, and shoppers--Sam accidentally steps on the foot of a homeless man who is buried in a pile of red paper. Flustered, Sam hurries back to his mother, and is soon distracted by the char siu bao and other sweets he might buy with his gift money. When he sees fish-tail cookies that remind him of toes, he remembers the old man again, and Sam starts to think of his "lucky money" in a new light. Karen Chinn's winning story is perfectly complemented by the vibrant watercolors of Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, creators of the award-winning Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree and A House by the River. Voted "Pick of the Lists" by American Bookseller, Sam and the Lucky Money succeeds at telling a simple story, while allowing young readers to explore the sights and sounds of an American urban Chinatown during the Chinese New Year. (Ages 4 to 8) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Sam receives four bright red envelopes decorated with shiny gold emblems as part of the traditional Chinese New Year celebration, each containing a dollar. As he accompanies his mother through Chinatown, his anticipation of how to spend it diminishes when he realizes that the "lucky money" won't buy as much as he had hoped. His mood is further sobered after an encounter with a man he stumbles upon in the street. He nobly, though not surprisingly, concludes that his four dollars would be best spent on the barefoot stranger. Though the traditional message that it is better to give than to receive will be apparent to adults immediately, it is handled in a genuine, thoughtful manner that will be realistic to children. Detailed descriptions of the sights and sounds of the New Year celebration build in contrast to Sam's growing introspection, becoming even more dramatic and adding to the depth of the story. The illustrators masterfully combine Chinatown's exotic setting with the universal emotions of childhood through expressive portraits of the characters.
Starr LaTronica, Four County Library System, Vestal, NY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188000013X
• ISBN-13: 978-1880000137
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,151,316 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chinese customs with a wonderful message for all, February 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Sam and the Lucky Money (Hardcover)

Everyone loves this book; mothers, teachers and of course, children. Many books about Chinese New Year are non-fiction books that describe the customs of the holiday. What makes this different is that this is a piece of fiction that gives you all the flavors of what it's like in an urban Chinatown during Chinese New Years while at the same time sending a wonderful message of giving. My 3 and 5 year old love this book. My 5 year old's kindergarten teacher loved the book for the same reasons plus it fostered discusssions about the story and the holiday. A class of 18 children sat quietly; listening attentively. The children found the illustrations fascinating. The teacher even loaned our book to another kindergarten teacher. I'm online because I'm getting them their own copy.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book to read for Chinese New Year school discussion, January 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sam and the Lucky Money (Paperback)

Read for a pre-k school Chinese New Year celebration and for a kindergarten celebration and all children were very attentive and interested in the story. Also has a good moral message to about giving.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must to read book for young children!, January 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Sam and the Lucky Money (Paperback)

Great for pre-schoolers to learn about giving and introduce them to Chinese New Year Celebration. Read the book to 3 year olds at a pre-school. Everyone was very attentive. Kids got the message, learnd about giving and appreciation, as well as were introduced to Asian culture. Recommend to ages 3-7.