When a girl and her grandfather buy one of those little ornamental tangerine trees for the house, she decides she has to make a pot for it. But they all come out wrong, whatever the significance she puts into them. Is this going to ruin their Chinese New Year festivities?

Well, no, as these easy pages prove to her and the reader that she is putting heart into each pot, and they still end up with a use and merit as a result. It's a brief little story, with sometimes just a sentence or three per spread, but the way it splits the focus of the book into both a nice look at perseverance and determination, and a quick lesson into the Lunar New Year, is a minor glory. The joy I got from the onomatopoeia of her labours was less, but that's a further layer of the work that went into this, and both our crafty heroine, her grandfather and the volume itself are to be honoured. A strong four stars.

This was a very sweet book! It might be a little too long and slow for some younger (or easily distracted) readers. I do think this would be perfect for an elementary classroom. It explains some Lunar New Year traditions and beliefs in a very simple way. This book also showcases art and creativity which is never a bad thing!

This book is great for showing practice makes perfect, but also that there is greatness in imperfection. The traditions and meanings behind Ping's attempts to make the perfect pot were told in a way that was understandable to my daughter (5). We are not from the culture this book shows, but my sister-in-law is and my daughter very much enjoys learning about how her Aunt grew up and what holidays she celebrates. The information section at the back of the book explaining Lunar New Year and the traditions around it was a fantastic inclusion to teach those who don't know and to introduce them to children. The drawings of the people were a bit flat and seemed a tad copy/paste, but that was just something I noticed, it didn't bother my daughter at all. I read this digital book through NetGalley.

I thought that this book was lovely!

It was well written, it was easy to follow and understand and my daughter really enjoyed it. It had some great messaging and it was really enjoyable.

The illustrations in the book were wonderful and they really bring the story to life. My daughter learnt about Chinese New Year so this was a great follow on for her and she learnt more about the meaning and celebrations.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a cute story about a family preparing for the New Year and a little girl trying to create a pot for a tangerine 🍊 tree. There’s a lot of talk about luck and prosperity, all preparations are done with intention. The girl is very sweet and likable. My own daughter liked the pots the little girl created and her dress that she wears.

This is a cute book, set during Lunar New Year, where a little girl and her grandfather get ready for the celebrations. Ping wants the perfect pot to put the tangerine tree that they bought in. And she tires and tries, but there is something wrong with each pot she creates.


Her grandfather keeps reassuring her that if she just keeps trying, she will come up with a pot that works. It is just that you have to keep going, despite disappointment.


And in the end, Ping finally comes up with the perfect pot, and realizes all her other pots can be used for other plants as well.
Cute story of determination.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will published on the 7th of January 2025.

This book shows that with a little bit of patience and persistence, a beautiful item can be created. It ties in culture with a learning opportunity for the reader. The illustrations were amazing. Some looked like they could leap off of the page!

Thanks to NetGalley and BroadLeaf Books for the ARC! This book shows that with a little bit of patience and persistence, a beautiful item can be created. It ties in culture with a learning opportunity for the reader. The illustrations were amazing. Some looked like they could leap off of the page! I do think that the word prosperity could have been explained as to why it was important for the creation. It would have tied the culture in a bit better. Having a supportive adult in the story was an important part. Grandpa was there to remind Ping that creations take time. Overall, I think this was a good story to showcase a different culture and help explain an emotional problem.

When Ping and her grandpa get a tangerine tree, she is determined to make a perfect pot for it to live in. But no matter how much she tries, she just can't get it right; her initial pots are too clumsy, too flimsy, too fragile. After much trial and error (and encouraging words from her grandpa) she finds a way to not only make the perfect pot, but to realize that all the pots are perfectly imperfect in their own ways.

A beautifully illustrated, sweet story celebrating perseverance and family. I love how it also incorporates Lunar New Year traditions as Ping's grandpa prepares the house for celebrations as she's working — and the back pages are full of cool information about them!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.