A Chinese family prepares for their New Year festivities they decorate the house with flowers, then set off firecrackers to scare away bad spirits and welcome the coming year.

Family and friends sit down together for a festive dinner, then go outside to watch the parade of dragon dancers. The festival ends on its final night with a display of colored lanterns. Festival Time books depict the activities of typical families, as Mom, Dad, and children celebrate holidays that have special religious or cultural significance for them.

Cheerfully attractive color illustrations supplement a simply-told story of the holiday's origins and a description of the festivities that are part of that holiday. Festival Time books can be read aloud to toddlers, but are easy enough for many first and second graders to read to themselves. Each book's final two-page spread is written mainly for parents, offering suggestions for ways to communicate the holiday's meaning to kids. (Ages 3-7)