Sam and the Lucky Money
During Chinese New Year, a young boy encounters a homeless person and discovers that no gift is too small when it comes from the heart.
Sam can hardly wait to go shopping with his mom. It's Chinese New Year's day and his grandparents have given him the traditional gift of lucky money-red envelopes called leisees (lay-sees). This year Sam is finally old enough to spend it any way he chooses. Best of all, he gets to spend his lucky money in his favorite place - Chinatown!
But when Sam realizes that his grandparents' gift is not enough to get the things he wants, his excitement turns to disappointment. Even though his mother reminds him that he should appreciate the gift, Sam is not convinced - until a surprise encounter with a stranger.
With vivid watercolor paintings, artists Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu celebrate the sights and sounds of festive Chinatown streets. In her picture book debut, author Karen Chinn tells the affecting story of a child who discovers that sometimes the best gifts come from the heart.
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Karen Chinn (1959-2003) was born in Seattle, Washington, and received a bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of Washington. She lived in Seattle, WA with her husband and daughter. Sam and the Lucky Money was her first picture book.
Cornelius Van Wright and his wife Ying-Hwa Hu have illustrated dozens of award-winning books. Their illustrations have been praised by Kirkus Reviews as "bright, detailed and dynamic, vividly depicting ... characters' facial features and personalities." Van Wright, a native New Yorker, lives in New York City.
Ying-Hwa Hu and her husband Cornelius Van Wright have illustrated dozens of award-winning books. Their illustrations have been praised by Kirkus Reviews as "bright, detailed and dynamic, vividly depicting ... characters' facial features and personalities." Hu, who was born in Taiwan, lives in New York City.
"The traditional message that it is better to give than to receive 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." -- School Library Journal
"A beautifully told story for all ages about the gift of giving." -- Creative Classrooms
"The subtle blending of cultures in both the illustrations and text engross the reader. . . The artists' vibrant watercolors embellish this story, which reaches across ethnic boundaries to reaffirm a universal truth." -- American Booksellers Association
"The landscape. . . is not made to appear exotic, but blends the mixture of Chinese and American mundanities that compose actual, modern Chinatown. [Author] Chinn. . . does not overtly moralize; instead, she provides a reconciliation between two difficult, and not necessarily disparate, childhood dilemmas." -- AsianWeek
Best Children's Books of the Year Outstanding - Bank Street College of Education
CCBC Choices - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Marion Vannett Ridgway Award Honor - University of Minnesota Libraries
Notable Books for a Global Society - International Literacy Association (ILA)
