Today’s Picture Book Postcard is from Sunny of Sparkles for Sunny: A Lunar New Year Story!
This new released picture book is about a little girl named Sunny who, as the youngest of three daughters, is tired of hand-me-downs including her Chinese traditional qípáo dress. With Lunar New Year coming up soon, she has to figure out a way to make her outfit her own without breaking family traditions or making her parents mad.
Sparkles for Sunny: A Lunar New Year Story
Author: Sylvia Chen
Illustrator: Thai My Phuong
Publisher: Flamingo Books/Penguin Random House
Publiication Date: December 2, 2025
Fun Book Resources and Educational Materials: https://www.sparklesforsunny.com/
“I noticed how there weren’t any picture books centered around the Chinese traditional dress called qípáo in Mandarin and cheongsam in Cantonese, so I wanted to write one with a humorous and creative storyline to share with the world!”
– Author Sylvia Chen
About the Author
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Sylvia Chen is an Asian American children’s book author, with her debut picture book TRICKY CHOPSTICKS recently published in 2024 by Atheneum/Simon & Schuster and newest picture book SPARKLES FOR SUNNY: A Lunar New Year Story published in December 2025 by Flamingo Books/Penguin Random House. As a former science fair competitor, Juilliard Pre-College piano alumni, statistics major at Columbia University, and avid researcher for both lab and market needs, her goal now is to craft picture books that spark kids’ interest in STEAM and creative thinking. She often stays up late into the night puzzling away with wordplay and working on quirky ideas. Visit her at sylviaichen.com or on Instagram/other social media @SylviaiChen.
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This is so fun April and the book sounds fantastic Sylvia!
Thank you, Robynn!