by Joanna C. Lee (Author), Ken Smith (Author), Patrick P. Lee (Calligrapher), Ria Sim (Cover Art)

The traditional Chinese almanac (known in Cantonese as Tong Sing and Mandarin as Huang Li) is a centuries-old repository of cultural information, from household tips to general medical remedies. But what has made it a mainstay in Chinese homes are its regular predictions of which periods are auspicious or ominous for a wide range of daily pursuits. Authors Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith translate and decode the almanac's predictions with daily listings for 2027, the Year of the Goat.

About the cover

This year's cover is extra special: it features Pearl River Mart!

When Joanna and Ken approached us about having Pearl River Mart on the cover of the 2027 almanac, we were delighted and honored. We love Ria's depiction, which she has entitled "Flowers Bloom, Prosperity Follows." She says, "To me, flowers represent a new beginning, and constant growth."

Ms. Sim started with a pencil sketch on standard 8½ x 11 paper, layering and shaping the design by adding paper cut-outs of people and other objects, arranging them into a settled perspective for a finished drawing.

"The building that houses Pearl River Mart is very plain, considering the location," says Ms. Sim. "So I didn't want too much clutter. What's interesting is the storefront, and having people look in the window provides a focus."

About the cover artist

Born in Malang in East Java, Indonesia, Ms. Sim moved with her family at age 5 to Southern California, where the struggles of immigrant family life weighed heavily on her childhood. "To survive emotionally, I learned at a very young age to use my imagination to create a make-believe life," she recalls, admitting that she still sees much of the world through the eyes of a nine-year-old girl.

Her current identity as a self-taught artist and illustrator began more than a decade ago when, amidst a divorce and chronic autoimmune illness, she gave up her work as a florist in the Bay Area and began to visit New York, photographing and sketching images of the city. Five years later, she relocated to New York to draw full-time. "It healed my heart and mind," she says. "Drawing puts me in a position where I feel calm and at ease."

The warmth and whimsy permeating the images in her popular Instagram account @coffeecakescafe led to her first published book, Dear New York, Love You, in 2025.

Dimensions: 2.5 x 4 inches

This annual collectible item is also available for 2026, the Year of the Horse. Collect them all!