Ringing It In Right! The Night before New Year's by Natasha Wing

''TWAS THE LAST DAY OF DECEMBER,
A WHOLE YEAR HAD FLOWN BY.

IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE
A WHOLE YEAR HAD GONE BY!

But one thing has changed over that year. The two youngsters have grown up some, and the senior lad now has a yen to experience that magic moment when the calendar turns the page to a brand new year. And to his surprise, his parents grant his grown-up wish!

WE WERE PRETTY EXCITED.
OUR PUPPY WAS, TOO!

WE CHANTED, "OUT WITH THE OLD,
IN WITH THE NEW!"

Even the preparations for their party are exciting. The family heads off to stock up on supplies--party hats and horns to toot, confetti and streamers, popcorn and poppers, balloons and a banner that spells out HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's hard to wait. New Year's Eve day is almost as long as Christmas Eve!

But after a late-night supper with favorite treats--pizza and cupcakes--all he can eat, the whole family toasts memories of the old year and the New Year together! The boy recalls fun holidays with dozens of cousins, and then Dad reveals another end-of-year tradition--New Year's resolutions! Mom and Dad have theirs ready to announce, but the boy draws a total blank.

They watch the crowd in Times Square on television, and sleepy little brother follows their puppy to dreamland in the doggy bed, but then--surprise--there are fantastic fireworks outside their window. Now the boy is wide awake, and, (a plus!) he gets to pop all the poppers by himself. Then it's close to midnight, and the boy waits quietly on the sofa for the final countdown to turn the page on the calendar, toss the confetti and streamers, and shout "Happy New Year!" out the window. . . .

... THE NEXT THING I KNEW
IT WAS SUNNY AND BRIGHT.

RATS! WE MISSED RINGING IN
THE NEW YEAR LAST NIGHT!

But there is one consolation! Our boy has his resolution--to make it till midnight next New Year's Eve, in Natasha Wing's The Night Before New Year's (Grossett and Dunlap, 2017 pb. ed). Author Natasha Wing is the Empress of Eves with her sizable series of The Night Before books, and this one makes a great run-through for young readers just coming of age to welcome in the new year. Wing's bouncy rhyming quatrains practically read themselves, and artist Amy Wummer provides the homey New Year's scenes to give kids a perfect preview of the festivities.

Other well-loved seasonal books in this series are The Night Before Hanukkah and The Night Before the Night Before Christmas.