Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade Page 4
Dad turned off the light, and I moved Mr. Toe Beans back under my bed. I still had Mr. Shiba with me. One was enough for me tonight.
Even though it wasn’t my birthday, I did feel older than I had before Lunar New Year. Today wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely better than I thought it would be.
“Happy Lunar New Year, Mr. Shiba,” I whispered to Mr. Shiba. “Congrats, you’re now officially two years old.”
Mr. Shiba, of course, didn’t say anything. But he did look kind of happy.
I was happy too, as I closed my eyes. Even though I’d had a scary nightmare last night, I was sure I’d have a really fun dream tonight, filled with food, friends, and happy celebrations.
I was so excited to sleep! And I was even more excited for the Lunar New Year ahead.
Acknowledgments
When I first set out to plan this series, I knew right away that I wanted to write a book about the fun Korean traditions that my parents kept alive in our family despite the fact that we moved to the United States more than twenty years ago. Aside from the phone calls and infrequent visits back home, our traditions were the only way to keep connected to our roots. For that reason, I would like to thank my parents for never letting me feel any less Korean and doing their best to keep traditions alive in our family.
I’d also like to thank my agent, Penny Moore, and my editor, Alyson Heller, who are always so enthusiastic about Mindy and her adventures. Thank you also to Dung Ho, my illustrator, who never fails to draw such gorgeous and fun art for Mindy that Kid Me would have loved so much. You bring Mindy to life in ways I could have never imagined.
My friends, of course, were also vital to my writing process. Writing is often a lonely experience, and I’m so lucky to not have to go about this life alone. Thank you, as always, to Aneeqah Naeem, who is sitting across from me as I write this sentence. Our writing dates feed my soul. Thank you also to Katie Zhao, Amelie Zhao, Rey Noble, Faridah Abike-Iyimide, Sharon Choi, Francesca Flores, Annie Lee, Chelsea Chang, Shiyun Sun, Luke Chou, Anita Chen, Brianna Lei, Bernice Yau, Kaiti Liu, Angelica Tran, Oanh Le, Victor Hu, Eunji Lee, and all my other friends who make my life brighter every day.
I’m also so grateful for everyone who reached out and told me how excited they are to meet Mindy. Thank you especially to the teachers who have said they’ll incorporate the Mindy Kim books, as well as other diverse literature, into their classrooms. You are changing so many lives, and we’re all so lucky to have you.
Last but not least, thank you so much to you, reader! Thank you for joining Mindy as she goes on her adventures. I’m sure she’s glad to have a friend like you by her side.
More from this Series
Mindy Kim and the…
Book 3
Mindy Kim and the Yummy…
Book 1
About the Author and Illustrator
LYLA LEE is the author of the Mindy Kim series as well as the upcoming YA novel I’ll Be the One. Although she was born in a small town in South Korea, she’s since then lived in various parts of the United States, including California, Florida, and Texas. Inspired by her English teacher, she started writing her own stories in fourth grade and finished her first novel at the age of fourteen. After working various jobs in Hollywood and studying psychology and cinematic arts at the University of Southern California, she now lives in Dallas, Texas. When she is not writing, she is teaching kids, petting cute dogs, and searching for the perfect bowl of shaved ice. You can visit her online at lylaleebooks.com.
DUNG HO was born and raised in Hue, Vietnam, where she studied graphic design at the Arts University. After graduating, she worked in the design and advertising industry for a short while, but then she found a great passion for illustration and making picture books. Now she is a freelance illustrator and currently lives and works in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
LYLALEEBOOKS.COM
ALADDIN
Simon & Schuster, New York
Visit us at simonandschuster.com/kids
www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Lyla-Lee
www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Dung-Ho
Don’t miss more fun adventures with Mindy Kim!
BOOK 1:
Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business
BOOK 2:
Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade
Coming soon:
BOOK 3:
Mindy Kim and the Birthday Puppy
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ALADDIN
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
First Aladdin paperback edition January 2020
Text copyright © 2020 by Lyla Lee
Illustrations copyright © 2020 by Dung Ho
Also available in an Aladdin hardcover edition.
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Book designed by Laura Lyn DiSiena
The illustrations for this book were rendered digitally.
The text of this book was set in Haboro.
Library of Congress Control Number 2019948664
ISBN 978-1-5344-4011-1 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-5344-4010-4 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-5344-4012-8 (eBook)