I thought I would invite you to celebrate Lunar New Year with my family. We can read the children’s book Why We Eat Fried Peanuts: A Celebration of Family and Lunar New Year Traditions by Zed Zha (January 2025, becker&mayer! kids). That I received a copy of in exchange for this review. Inside this post is my affiliate links. If you click on the links and make a purchase I will make a small percentage from the products you purchase.
Why We Eat Fried Peanuts is a story of ancestral bravery that teaches young readers about Chinese history, language and food. I wish we had Why We Eat Fried Peanut when I was #Homeschooling Charlie full time. We were studying the States because Why We Eat Fried Peanuts would have been a great addition to our reading lessons.
Why We Eat Fried Peanuts brings so many lessons to our family including looking up what Lunar New Year is and why its celebrated. Thanks to the Author we was able to make #FriedPeanuts for our family to try through the recipe in the book.
Even though Charlie has finished #Homeschooling and his Cooking Class I believe children should cook something once a week to keep learning in the kitchen. Which is why I was excited to find the recipe for Fried Peanuts.
Charlie and David both enjoyed Why We Eat Fried Peanuts and the illustrations in the book a lot. I liked the relationship between the little girl and her dad. Through the book we learned new words like ‘tai nai nai” which we could have used in our Spelling Class.
My family liked learning eating Peanuts will help us live long and be strong. I don’t know if its true or not but you can never be to sure about these things so I think we should have Fried Peanuts for desert this evening.
My question is what is “Tomb-Sweeping day? Through the book we also learned about Bejing another State to study. We learn about a girl Tai-Nai Nai meets. But the girls disappears but she looks for her and finds her baby.
The mom is crying in the corner. The women’s husband was called away to War and she couldn’t take care of the baby. The lady gave the baby to Tai-Nai Nai. She named the baby Little Peanut and he became her son. He grew up to be a engineer.
In Why We Eat Fried Peanuts learn about a Chinese Musical Instrument er hu your students could study in there homeschool music class. Charlie and I are going to look it up for fun and see if we can find one near us. Little Peanut was her Uncle.
Since they didn’t know Tai-Nai Nai’s name they named her shan liang which means kindness and that was her name. In the back of the book is important moments in Chinese History we can share with our families.
About the book:
Why We Eat Fried Peanuts: A Celebration of Family and Lunar New Year Traditions by Zed Zha, illustrated by Sian James, invites readers to join Mèng, a Chinese American girl, as she prepares for the Lunar New Year with her family.
Through Mèng’s conversation with her father, the children will learn about the rich significance of ancestral stories, the history of the Mandarin language, and the traditional foods that make the holiday so special.
Mèng’s father shares the inspiring tale of Tài Nǎi Nai, Mèng’s great-grandmother, whose act of bravery a century ago left a lasting legacy and offers timeless lessons for today’s generation. As Mèng learns, food plays a vital role in the celebration, with Fried Peanuts serving as a special snack tied to the family’s traditions. The story concludes with a simple, fun recipe for Fried Peanuts, offering a hands-on way for readers to bring the spirit of the Lunar New Year into their own homes.
About:
Zed Zha, MD, FAAFP is a family doctor, a writer, and a first-generation Chinese immigrant. She graduated medical school from Dartmouth and completed residency training at the Mayo Clinic Health Systems. Zed has always had a passion for storytelling. In her blog, she tells the stories about the amazing women in her ancestry and family, including her mother who “stole” her out of the hospital, and her great-grandmother who sacrificed her dignity to save a life.
Why We Eat Fried Peanuts is based on the true story of Zed’s great-grandmother. It’s a book that celebrates family and honors traditions. For all readers, she hopes this book inspires acts of kindness, introduces kids to the Chinese culture and language, and provides a fun recipe for a family cooking time! And for Chinese American kids and their families, Zed hopes this book will help cultivate a sense of pride in their beautiful heritage.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
