Book Review: Why We Eat Fried Peanuts

January 6, 2025 by Sarah White Leave a Comment

Why We Eat Fried Peanuts by Zed Zha, illustrated by Sian James, tells a sweet story of a woman’s kindness and the family that remembers her.

A child asks her father why they eat fried peanuts for Lunar New Year, and he says that his grandmother always told them to eat peanuts for long life and strength. He goes on to tell the story of his grandmother, whose name is not known, but whose kindness literally saved the life of a baby (who would become the girl’s great uncle).

The story is not really about Lunar New Year, but it uses it as an entry point for telling the story and acknowledging the importance of ancestors in Chinese culture. It would be a good choice to read in the classroom around Lunar New Year or when you are talking about China.

The book includes Mandarin vocabulary, with each phrase shown in the corner of the page in Mandarin characters, transliterated, spelled phonetically and with the definition of the term. This makes it a lot easier to read aloud and to understand the important words being expressed.

At the back of the book you’ll find answers to some questions such as what is Lunar New Year and the Qingming Festival (a time to honor ancestors by sweeping their tombs, which usually happens in April), why are peanuts a special treat and what does an èr hú look and sound like (it’s a two-stringed instrument that features in the story). And there’s a recipe for fried peanuts, too.

I wouldn’t say this should be your only Lunar New Year book (because it really barely touches on the holiday at all despite the subtitle being “A Celebration of Family and Lunar New Year Traditions”) but it is a sweet story and would be a nice addition to a shelf of new year books or to read aloud at home or at school.

About the book: 32 pages, paper over boards. Published 2025 by becker&meyer kids. Suggested retail price $18.99.

Have you read?

Celebrating Mexican Independence Day

Lots of Americans seem to think that May 5 is Mexican Independence Day, but that holiday actually falls on Sept. 16.

May 5 is the celebration of the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexicans defeated the French in 1862. Independence Day marks the beginning of their fight for independence from Spain in 1810. That was the day of what’s known as El Grito de Dolores, or the cry of Dolores, for when the Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bells at his church in Dolores and declared that Mexico should be free from Spanish rule.

They would fight for their freedom until 1821 when they finally gained independence.

Fabulous Classroom has a little of the history and ideas for celebrating the holiday for all age groups. There’s also a link to a good video in that post about the real story of Mexican Independence Day.

Twinkl also has a good tops about the history and different activities, discussion ideas, crafts and foods that can be incorporated into lessons at school or used at home.

I also found a few pins that no longer link to a website but include good information on Mexican Independence Day, including some questions for students to answer based on the reading. You can find more printables and questions for kids from TX Homeschool Mama on Etsy (also available in Spanish).

You can find a lot more paid resources about Mexican Independence Day at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Mexican flag crafts are a fun option for celebrating Mexican Independence Day (though the current iteration of their flag has only been in use since 1968). Kids Activities Blog has a free Mexican flag printable and a few different ideas for decorating it including dot markers and torn tissue paper.

You can also find some great Mexican crafts at Red Ted Art. The post includes all sorts of Mexican inspired projects including Day of the Dead crafts, Frida Kahlo pinatas and upcycled musical instruments. I love the giant paper flowers they shared from Honestly WTF.

Have you read?

Leave a Reply