Ling & Ting’s Lunar New Year: Two Times Lucky
Ling and Ting are twins. They are Chinese and American. They celebrate the new year two times. Now they are preparing for Lunar New Year. They want a lucky year. What happens when Ting makes a mistake? Can their year still be lucky?
Reviews
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL ★ STARRED REVIEW ★
“Chinese American twins Ling and Ting warmly introduce readers to the traditions and meanings behind the Lunar New Year. The book is divided into six short chapters, each with a title that hints at a specific aspect of the celebration. Through their preparations, readers learn why there are two New Year celebrations, the symbolism of two doors and two banners, and the double meanings of words like orange. The theme of “two” runs throughout the story, reinforcing both the twins’ bond and the cultural significance of duality. This idea culminates in a joyful exploration of lions and luck in the final chapters. Vibrant gouache illustrations on watercolor paper bring each tradition to life, enhancing the storytelling with color and warmth. Small vignettes at the beginning and end of the book frame the story, showing Ling and Ting dressed in their festive New Year outfits—bookending the celebration with adorable illustrations. In addition to cultural insights, the book offers lessons in calendar skills, chores/cleaning, puns, poems, and Chinese American heritage. With its charm, humor, and cultural context, this book is both entertaining and educational. Lin (The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon) crafts a story that invites readers to learn, celebrate, and appreciate the richness of tradition. VERDICT: This joyful, culturally rich introduction to Lunar New Year is a fantastic addition to any collection.”
THE HORN BOOK ★ STARRED REVIEW ★
“It’s been a long wait for this fifth book in the early-reader series (the most recent was Ling & Ting: Together in All Weather, rev. 1/16), but this entry arrives just in time for Lunar New Year—a subject author-illustrator Lin has previously covered in picture-book and novelform. Indeed, twins Ling and Ting can be seen consulting Lin’s book Bringing In the New Year—a fun-to-spot meta-moment for fans. Like the newly independent readers of this book, the young sisters are on their own, with no adult help required: Lin’s vibrantly colored illustrations show them as they clean the house, co-write a two-line poem, fill a bowl with oranges, make lion costumes, and perform a lion dance. As always in this series, humor is the big draw, with punny jokes (“What do dragons like to eat during Lunar New Year?” “Fire-CRACKERS!”) and silly situations well engineered to tickle the target audience. The unique personalities of each sister add to the comedy: practical Ling begins the poem on a serious note (“The old crane steps outside my window, so near”) while goofy Tingreliably lightens things up (“Hey, New Year, come inside this door right here”). Readers encountering these twins for the first (or fifth) time are most definitely “two times lucky.”
AUDIOPHILE ★ Earphones award★
“Mesmi Chu’s adorable portrayal of twins Ling and Ting creates a bubbly, engaging performance. Playful dialogue and pun-filled jokes fill the story as the Chinese American twins prepare for the Lunar New Year. Chu’s winsome delivery helps explain the traditions, superstitions, and customs surrounding this important celebration, such as the significance of the color red, the double meaning of words like oranges, and why families avoid sweeping dust out the front door. This approachable and fun introduction to the Lunar New Year encourages conversations about honoring heritage, culture, and cherished family rituals. Lively, rhythmic sounds of drums, cymbals, and firecrackers provide an atmospheric accompaniment to Chu’s spot-on narration.”
Reading level: Ages 6-9
Pages: 48 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Language: English
Behind the Story
Ling and Ting is an early reader about twin Chinese-American girls. Why twins?
Well, originally, they were triplets. This book actually has been brewing for many years. Just like how Year of the Dog was an homage to the Betsy books, this early reader began as an homage to the Flicka, Dicka and Ricka books Grace used to read. (Grace had to paint Ling & Ting in the same dotted dresses!)
But even though Grace’s vision was for identical girls, she felt a tad uncomfortable– would she be encouraging that whole “All Asians look alike” stereotype? So she put the story away and let the idea sit and sit. For years.
And then in 2005, a group in Portland, ME put on a play of the Ugly Vegetables. There, Grace met the cutest Asian twin girls she had ever seen. As she watched them share cookies but eat them in completely different ways, a light went off. Suddenly, she knew how the book should be written and that she needed to give the early reader another shot.
So Grace went home and scratched and rewrote and resketched, with a different outlook. The shift was subtle, but important–as it finally justified (to her) why the characters had to be identical.
Because, whereas the theme of many of Grace’s other books have been how even when people look different, there are many similarities–the theme of this book is how when people look the same, there can be many differences.
More
See the “original twins“.
Read about the challenges Grace faced while writing an early reader.
View the Ling and Ting Book Trailer.
Activities:
Ling & Ting’s Lunar New Year: Two Times Lucky
Activity Kit
For the Lunar New Year make your own lion mask, find differences and make paper dolls!
Ling and Ting Paper Dolls
Print, color and cut!
Write Your Own Story!
Ling and Ting are twins that like to make up stories. Make up your own! Here are some special Ling and Ting Story Starters to help you get going. After you write your story, share it with Grace and receive an autographed print!