Wong, Janet. 1994. Good luck gold and other poems. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. ISBN: 0-689-50617-1.
Introduction
My Bird Day is a poem about how one girl's family celebrates her birthday.
My Bird Day
When my grandfather says birthday
in his Chinese accent,
it sounds like "bird day,"
which is closer to truth--
for us, anyway
At my birthday parties
we never have
paper streamers,
pi�atas in trees,
balloons tape up
on the wall.
We decorate with platters
of peking duck
soy sauce chicken and squab
in lettuce cups
Food is all
that matters.
Other Chinese families
might do things
differently,
but my grandfather,
whose name is Duck,
thinks it's good
luck to make
a bird day
special.
Extension
Talk about how different families celebrate special occasions like birthdays. Have the children share their own traditions.
Five Poems