Monkey's Sweet Surprise
A Lunar New Year Mix-Up
Patricia Tanumihardja author Bonnie Lui illustrator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Picnic Heist Publishing
Published:12th Feb '26
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A delightful Lunar New Year adventure inspired by the Vietnamese, Gurung, and Malay zodiac traditions—filled with friendship, teamwork, and delicious desserts!
Monkey's Sweet Surprise: A Lunar New Year Mix-Up whisks young readers away to the Jade Empress’s grand banquet, where a charming cast of zodiac animals—including Mouse Deer (from the Malay zodiac) and Cat (from the Vietnamese Zodiac)—prepare their finest festive dishes. Determined to redeem himself after last year’s kooky catastrophe, Monkey sets out to make the Empress’s favorite dessert: pineapple tarts. But along the way, he discovers that the sweetest surprises come from helping friends and working together.
Set in a whimsical world inspired by these rich zodiac traditions, this beautifully illustrated picture book blends Southeast Asian cultural heritage, imaginative storytelling, and a deep love of food. Perfect for ages 4–8, it celebrates the spirit of Lunar New Year while sharing timeless lessons in friendship, teamwork, and forgiveness.
“In this bustling Lunar New Year celebration of teamwork and tradition, Tanumihardja incorporates animal signs of the Gurung, Malay, and Vietnamese zodiacs.”—Publishers Weekly
“Everyone bakes desserts for the Jade Empress’s banquet, but Monkey’s story of friendship and redemption steals the show.”—Foreword Reviews
“Friendship and forgiveness are the essential ingredients of this deliciously original and truly sweet entry in the rich tradition of Asian zodiac tales.”—Richard Ho, author of Two New Years and Year of the Cat
“Monkey's Sweet Surprise is a fun twist on the Lunar New Year tales. A story about delicious foods, community, kindness and lifting up one another. A great addition to your Lunar New Year reads!”—Benson Shum, author of Anzu the Great Kaiju
ISBN: 9798992271843
Dimensions: 215mm x 279mm x 9mm
Weight: unknown
40 pages