Book News: Lucky New Year!

By Ronna Mandel

[Blogger's Note: Great news for book lovers! Ronna will be launching her very own blog soon. Stayed tuned at LAParent.com.] 

I could not wait to open Lucky New Year! by Mary Man-Kong and illustrated by Chi Chung (Golden Books, www.randomhouse.com, $9.99, ages 3-8). This bright and shiny pop-up book is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. Kids will learn to say, “Gung hay fat choy” ("Wishing you prosperity!") along with characters Lili and Lenny as they prepare for the fast approaching Chinese New Year.

By turning a dial on the Chinese calendar, readers can find which animal represents their birth year. I was surprised to discover that my son was born in the year of the snake, but the calendar did not go far back enough for me!

At a dim sun luncheon celebration on New Year’s Day, lift the flaps to see what foods Lili and Lenny will enjoy. All the pop-ups, flaps and other moveable devices are clever. My favorite, the chopsticks and noodles, may be yours, too! The Chinese lion brings good luck, so don’t forget to pull the tab at the end and watch the lion open and close its eyes and mouth.

What’s the perfect combination for the end of January? Buy the book at one of the many terrific independent book shops we list in our Best of L.A. issue and then treat your kids to a dim sum meal in one of the restaurants recommended in our new L.A. Parent 411 guide.

Taking Collections

I come from a family of collectors. My sister has a massive marble collection (here's an opportunity to note that no, she has not yet lost her marbles) as well as one for buttons, stamps and feathers. She has a pretty solid stash of floaty pens from various tourist spots. My mom has a massive china cup collection as well as enough monk- and nun-themed items to fill a monastery. I've tried to avoid catching the collecting bug and have managed to keep my trappings down to just a couple bobbleheads, some monkeys and a grouping of jackalopes.

What do you have dusting up your shelves? If you live in California, the folks at the California State Fair in Sacramento want to know. They are looking for California's strangest collections to possibly be displayed at this year's fair.

"No collection is too big or too small, but all collections should be extremely weird, wild or wacky," says State Fair CEO and General Manager Norb Bartosik in a press release. "Anything unusual is open for consideration. But we want to display the very strangest collections of ‘stuff' we can find." 

California collectors of all ages can contact the State Fair exhibits department via email (wackycollections@calexpo.com) or phone (916-263-3045) with a description of their collection, including quantity of items, size of display and current location. Digital images of the collection are accepted (email size limit 2MB). This year's fair is Aug. 21-Sept. 7 at Cal Expo in Sacramento.

What I Learned Over the Holidays

... that there's pretty much nothing cuter than a preschooler wearing reindeer ears and belting out "Frosty the Snowman," despite the lack of parking and adequate seating the parents might have to endure to see it:



... that cousins and nephews have strong shoulders, too:



... that you should indulge your family and all visiting relatives in L.A.'s vast and varied iconic attractions, which could include In 'N Out Burger, Hollywood Boulevard and, of course, the Tournament of Roses Parade:



... oh, and that marching bands are still cool:



... and last but certainly not least: That there's nothing better than finding your family under the tree:

Grandmother Advice

My mom did not want to be called "Grandma" when her first grandchild was born several years ago (she also doesn't anyone knowing how long ago she got that first grandchild). It's not that she really minded the fact that she had become a grandmother. It's just that name; it can be so ... oh, I don't know ... old.

So she opted for "Mom" for my niece, which was never confusing to us but was a bit odd to outsiders. So when Kate was born, it brought up the dilemma again. For reasons that remain clear only to her, she latched onto the name "Ema," which she happily answers to today.

When that day of picking a "Grandma" name comes for me – in the VERY, VERY distant – future, I have it pretty easy. Steve's mom was simply "Gram," a play on the Graham name. I'm planning to go with that. If I didn't have a good option (because I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be down with "Grandma" either), then I might consult The New Grandparents Name Book: A lighthearted guide to picking the perfect grandparent name ($9.99, ArtStone Press). The book hits shelves today, so if you've got a grandmother who might prefer to be a "Grangran" or a "Nonny," you might want to consult this handy little tome.

It offers more than 700 names, and of course, includes a section for the "Granbears" and "Pepos," too.

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