Description:
In Chinese. Sam and the Lucky Money celebrates the sights and sounds of festive Chinatown streets. while telling the affecting story of a child who discovers that sometimes the best gifts come from the heart.
Brief description:
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.
Review Quotes:
"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)