After his family moves from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, a boy begins school in America. He has a difficult time adjusting with limited knowledge of the English language and American culture. His translator is embarrassed to have to speak her native language at school in front of her friends. The boy feels out of place and alone in his new environment, though his mother assures him that one day he will be proud of his Chinese heritage.

In February, the teacher gives the class a homework assignment: to come up with a theme with which to decorate the classroom. The boy knows exactly what the theme should be. He drafts some sketches of decorations for Chinese New Year. His teacher and classmates love the idea and have many questions about Chinese New Year for the boy. He is happy to answer and share his heritage with them.

New Year is based on author/illustrator Rich Lo’s childhood experiences immigrating to America, and it is ultimately a story about being proud of who you are and where you’ve come from.

Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.