• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Baby + Toddler (0-2)
  • Pre-K (3-5)
  • Beginning Readers (6-7)
  • Growing Readers (7-9)
  • Tweens (10-12)
Happily Ever Elephants
Happily Ever Elephants

Happily Ever Elephants

The Best Kids Books Found Here!

  • Home
  • Book Lists
  • Kids Book Clubs
  • Spring Books!
  • About
  • Home
  • Baby + Toddler (0-2)
  • Pre-K (3-5)
  • Beginning Readers (6-7)
  • Growing Readers (7-9)
  • Tweens (10-12)
All Book Lists » The Best New Year Read-Alouds

The Best New Year Read-Alouds

By Lauren Bercuson ·  Published: Nov 22, 2022 ·  Modified: Dec 31, 2022 ·  This post may contain affiliate links

New year read-alouds are the perfect way to kick off the beginning of the year. You can’t go wrong reading these fabulous books come January. Check out this awesome list!

The covers of 9 new year read alouds we love.
Table of Contents:
  1. New Year read-alouds delight young readers.
  2. Frequently asked questions
  3. We love these New Year Read Alouds!

New Year read-alouds delight young readers.

With the new year around the corner, it’s the perfect time to celebrate! These new year read alouds will help you do just that.

We love using fabulous picture books as a spring board for conversation, and the new year books on this list highlight special traditions, diverse cultures and even making those all-important resolutions. They will give your family a lot to talk about as you discuss your own goals for the new year.

Wherever you are, however you celebrate, be sure to share these wonderful stories with your family. And one thing is for certain – we hope you find yourself reading lots and lots of great books in the new year!

RELATED: We’ve got more than 100 children’s book lists on Happily Ever Elephants. Be sure to check out this link!

Frequently asked questions

What is your favorite New Year Read Aloud?

I adore Snow Horses, by Patricia MacLachlan and Micha Archer, featured below. It is a gorgeous, quiet book about tradition, family, and community. I love how it shows people young and old saying goodbye to the last night and hello to the first morning of the sweet new year. It’s breathtakingly beautiful!

Do you read books about other kinds of new year celebrations?

Absolutely! We love reading about all kinds of new year celebrations. On this list, A Sweet New Year for Ren is all about the Lunar New Year, and Every Month is a New Year discusses the diverse religious, cultural, and regional New Year celebrations that take place all throughout the year!

What do you do with your new year books during the year?

I get asked this question all the time, and there’s one simple answer.
Whatever you want! Some families love to keep these holiday books out even past the new year. Others put them away until the holiday approaches again. This keeps the books feeling special once they are pulled off the shelf the next year. There is no right or wrong answer here, and you must do what works best for your family!

Happily Ever Elephants participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.

RELATED: We’ve got a fabulous list of kindergarten read-alouds for you on Happily Ever Elephants, all of which make for great bedtime stories. Be sure to check them out!

We love these New Year Read Alouds!

The cover of Snow Horses, a beautiful New Year Read Aloud.
Snow Horses: A First Night Story
By Patricia MacLachlan and Micha Archer

In this breathtakingly beautiful book, snow falls heavily on the last night of the year. Two black horses, Tim and Tom, await their sled’s jingle, then pull the sleigh through the town to spread light and joy to the community. Happily, the horses drive down the winding hill, first stopping for the laughing children, then for the grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, and uncles. From one generation to another, the riders are both joyful and reminiscent as they ride through town and get ready to wake to the first snowy, sunlight morning of the new year. A gorgeous new story about an age-old new year tradition!

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:


The cover of A Sweet New Year for ren, a beautiful New Year Read Aloud.
A Sweet New Year for Ren
By Michelle Sterling and Dung Ho

It’s almost the Lunar New Year, and little Ren can’t wait to help her family prepare. There’s just one problem: everyone in her family thinks she is too little to do anything! Luckily, with the help of her brother, Ren learns how to make the perfect pineapple cakes – her favorite! We love this sweet story of family, tradition, and delicious food!

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

The cover of Freedom Soup, a lovely New Year Read Aloud.
Freedom Soup
By Tami Charles and Jacqueline Alcantara

As they prepare for the new year, one family makes their traditional New Year’s soup, a special meal that dates back to the Haitian Revolution. As Ti Gran and Belle cook and dance together, Ti Gran teaches Belle about the soup’s history, as well as the history of their family and Haiti, too. We love this celebration of culture and passing down traditions from one generation to the next. A joyful read!

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:


The cover of Feliz New Year, Ava Gabriela, a festive New Year Read Aloud.
Feliz New Year, Ava Gabriela!
By Alexandra Alessandri and Addy Rivera Sonda

Ava Gabriela visits her family in Colombia for the holidays, and she loves to partake in all of the family traditions, like making delicious bunuelos. Yet, there’s one small problem: Ava’s family is loud loud LOUD, and Ava is awfully shy! Will Ava miss out on all of the New Year’s fun, or will she be able to find her voice before the festivities are over?

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:


The cover of Happy New Year, Spot, a sweet New Year Read Aloud for toddlers.
Happy New Year, Spot!
By Eric Hill

In this sweet board book perfect for your youngest readers, Spot finds a way to celebrate the new year, even if he is too little to stay up until midnight! Who says you have to stay up all night to wear party hats and delight in the sounds of noisemakers? Your littlest kids will love this delightful new year read-aloud!

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:


The cover of Squirrel's New Year's Resolution, a classic New Year Read Aloud.
Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution
By Pat Miller and Kathi Ember

Squirrel knows that everyone makes resolutions at the beginning of the new year, but what is a resolution anyway? Her friends have all decided what they want to do in the new year, and Squirrel is eager to help them with their goals. But Squirre feels stuck. What should her resolution be? Will she figure it out before it’s too late?

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

RELATED: Looking for great books for 2 year olds and books for 3-year-olds? Check out these links!

The cover of What Do You Do With a Chance?, a perfect New Year Read Aloud.
What Do You Do With a Chance
By Kobi Yamada and Mae Besom

One day, a child gets a chance. It appears seemingly out of nowhere, but he doesn’t embrace it. Instead, he is uncertain and pulls away. When the next chance comes around, he reaches for it and falls. The child inever wants to feel so foolish again! Though the chances keep appearing, the child keeps ignoring them, and they eventually cease. Only then, with his emotions in turmoil, does the boy realize that as scared as he is, he does want to take a chance. Will he find the courage to seize a new opportunity? While this story isn’t centered around the start of a new year, it is one I read with my children every January 1st. I love the way it encourages us to embrace new opportunities, which is a perfect reminder for the start of a new year! For our full review of What Do You Do With a Chance?, click the link!

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:


The cover of Shante Keys and the New Year's Peas, an adorable New Year Read Aloud.
Shante Keys and the New Year’s Peas
By Gail Piernas-Davenport and Marion Eldridge

Oh no! Grandma prepared a great meal for New Year’s Day, and even though there are chitlins, baked ham, greens, and cornbread to eat she forgot the Black Eyed Peas! Everyone knows it is bad luck to start the year without them, so Shante takes matters into her own hands. Determined to continue her family’s holiday tradition, Shante borrows some from her neighbors and gets cooking! We love this story about food, family and tradition!

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

The cover of Every Month is a New Year, a beautifully diverse New Year Read Aloud.
Every Month is a New Year: Celebrations Around the World
By Marilyn Singer and Susan L. Roth

We love multicultural picture books, and this gem discusses the diverse religious, cultural, and regional New Year celebrations that take place all throughout the year! While the New Year begins on January 1st in many places around the globe, this isn’t always the case! Chinese New Year occurs in January or February, Iranians celebrate Nowruz in March, and Thai people celebrate Songkran in April. This fabulous book highlights sixteen festivals, from the well-known to the lesser known, and you’ll learn something new on every page!

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:


RELATED: Do you have big kids getting ready to read in the new year? Don’t miss our fantastic list of the best early reader books!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

All Book Lists

« Previous PostChristmas Board Books We Love for Toddlers
Next Post »Preschool Books About Friendship

OTHER POSTS YOU MAY LIKE:

  • The cover of 4 children's books about gratitude with a thank you note.

    All Book Lists

    Children's Books About Gratitude to Read All Year!
  • All Book Lists

    The Best Lunar New Year Read-Aloud Books!
  • Children's books about Rosh Hashanah with apples.

    All Book Lists

    Rosh Hashanah Children's Books We Love

Never Miss a Happily Ever Elephants Newsletter!

Join our community and discover 28 Unforgettable Books to Make Storytime Magical and Meaningful.

Thank you for subscribing!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Happily Ever Elephants!

Lauren

Hi! I’m Lauren. I’m a boy mom, former attorney, current elementary school librarian, and moderator of book clubs for kids around the country. My goal is to make storytime with your children both magical and meaningful. Welcome! LEARN MORE 

AS FEATURED IN

Good Housekeeping

Spring Books!

15+ Cute Bunny Books for Kids!

The Best Easter Books for Toddlers

15 Sweet Children’s Books About Flowers

10+ Children’s Books About Rain

SEE ALL SPRING BOOKS

Popular Posts

kindergarten-read-alouds

These Kindergarten Read Alouds Will Wow Kids!

The covers of 9 of the best books for 10 year olds.

The Best Books for 10-Year-Olds To Excite Your Kids!

The cover of Gossie with some rubber ducks, a great book for 2 year olds.

The Best Books for 2-Year-Olds Your Reader Will Love!

beginning-reader-books

The Ultimate List of the Best Books for Beginning Readers!

JOIN OUR BOOK CLUB

Browse by Age

BABY + TODDLER (0-2)
PRE-K (3-5)
BEGINNING READER (6-7)
GROWING READER (7-9)
TWEENS (10-12)
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Join 70k+ Instagram Followers

Find even more great book recommendations with the @happily.ever.elephants Instagram community!
Join more than 70k+ parents for more tips, recommendations and reviews.

Footer

Don’t miss a single book.

Join our community and discover 28 Unforgettable Books to Make Storytime Magical and Meaningful.

Thank you for subscribing!

Buy the Books

The best virtual book clubs for kids. Why read alone when we can read together?

JOIN NOW!
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 ·  Happily Ever Elephants LLC ·  Review Policies & Disclosures ·  Accessibility ·  Website by Anchored Design

2 shares