Sam and the Lucky Money

Holidays fill a human need for celebration, for remembrance, and for tradition. A part of that tradition is captured in the stories we hear, over and over, as we celebrate the days that give shape to our year.The hum of crowds, the beating of drums, the clang of cymbals, and the bang of gongs accompany Ming-Na Wen's reading of SAM'S LUCKY MONEY, a story of Chinese New Year. Firecrackers explode in the street as the lion weaves its way through the crowd and Sam pursues something on which to spend his lucky money. Wen's enthusiastic reading, impeccably paced, is accompanied by haunting music that varies with the mood of the story until Sam decides, finally, that generosity is the best luck of all. T.B. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

July 31, 1997
A Chinese American boy gives his New Years' gift money to a homeless man. Subtle, sunny watercolors accurately render the boy's emotions and the Chinatown setting. Ages 3-9.