Seto’s children’s book debut is set during the Moon Festival, a summer festival celebrated by Chinese families with candlelit paper lanterns, moon viewing, mooncakes, and storytelling. A first-person narrative from a small girl describes her family’s practices in the present tense: “Soon there will be mooncakes to eat, sweet and chewy.... They make a circle for me and Mama and Baba. They make a circle for my family.” Benoit (The Secret of the Village Fool) paints quiet, shell-pink and wisteria-tinted watercolors of the girl and her family cuddled under moonlit trees. Embedded in the story are three Chinese folktales that the contemporary family listens to: a cruel tyrant chases his wife until she escapes to a castle in the sky, a lazy woodcutter chops at a cinnamon tree that never dies, and a rabbit offers himself up as a meal to three hungry magicians. Benoit paints these stories’ characters in traditional dress, alternating with delicious close-ups of the food the contemporary family eats. An overall sense of magic and possibility is more than enough to temper the folktales’ slightly dark moments. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)
Mooncakes
Narrated by Priscilla Holbrook
Loretta SetoUnabridged — 7 minutes
Mooncakes
Narrated by Priscilla Holbrook
Loretta SetoUnabridged — 7 minutes
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Overview
The lyrical story of a young girl who shares the special celebration of the Chinese Moon Festival with her parents.
As they eat mooncakes, drink tea and watch the night sky together, Mama and Baba tell ancient tales of a magical tree that can never be cut down, the Jade Rabbit who came to live on the moon and one brave woman's journey to eternal life. With a gentle focus on the importance of family, Mooncakes is both a perfect book for parent and child to read together and an ideal choice for schools and libraries.
Editorial Reviews
"A cozy family story rooted in tradition."
"A charming picturebook about a family spending time together...Silvery moonlight seems to touch the soft watercolor illustrations that accompany the flowing text."
"A lovely story told with all the gentleness that family times evoke...The paintings that accompany are just right. They are equally quiet, using soft colors and moonlit images of the family sharing the spirit of the festival. The feeling changes as the story switches from the traditional tales to the food being shared. It is magical and touching, and very exciting for our young narrator. A cozy chair, a cup of tea and a mooncake to share with a loving family!"
"For the 2nd grade social studies curriculum and studies of other cultures, this is perfect."
"This simple story features evocative language...[and] the illustrations are filled with scenes of quiet celebration and soft colors."
"A cozy family story rooted in tradition...Told from the child’s point of view, the narrative is simply written and nicely cadenced. The folktales offer an imaginative addition to the narrative as well as a window into Chinese legend. Created with colored pencils, watercolors, and gouache, the double-page illustrations create a series of warm family scenes and tableaux from folklore, all suffused with pale golden light. The many rounded shapes reinforce the sense of harmony that pervades the story."
"A lovely, touching story that functions well as both entertainment and an introduction to a snippet of Chinese culture...Seto seamlessly blends the contemporary storyline with the traditional narratives...Benoit's moody palette of muted greys, blues, greens, and oranges evokes the nighttime setting, giving way to unexpected pops of brighter colour when the narrative switches to folktales...A treat as sweet as the titular pastry."
"The ancient stories feature rich vocabulary and intriguing images. Decorated with a scroll design and appearing in italics, the three tales also look ornate on the pages of the book. The young girl’s responses to the stories are reflective and full of wonder...Benoit's watercolour, coloured pencil and gouache illustrations present a warm, loving family sharing traditions...This is a wonderful book to introduce cultures and holidays. Highly Recommended."
PreS-Gr 3—A generous trim size and skillful use of white space usher readers into this loving story of a little girl and her family as they celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival. The lanterns are set and Mama and Baba snuggle with their daughter as they eat mooncakes, drink tea, and share the stories of Chang-E, Wu-Gang, and Jade Rabbit, legendary characters that live on the Moon. The myths are set off by italicized text and a more formal Chinese painting style, with the characters dressed in traditional clothing. While cautionary in nature, the tales are not frightening and are obviously meant to convey a sense of the family's heritage. In the contemporary story, the mooncakes seem real enough to eat, the teapot and cups are beautifully rendered, and the night sky sparkles. This quiet gem will make an effective read-aloud to introduce the Moon Festival and Chinese culture.—Sharon Grover, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI
"Tonight the moon shines like a polished pearl, round and fat." The Chinese Moon Festival is a time to celebrate family, and this year is no exception. Warm and appealing watercolor-and-gouache illustrations show a young girl's family together as they light and hang lanterns, watch the glowing moon in the night sky, drink steaming tea and eat delicious mooncakes. Tonight the girl is allowed to stay up late and listen to her parents tell the tales of characters who inhabit the moon, including a wise and protective woman named Chang-E, a selfish woodcutter known as Wu-Gang, and the kind and sharing Jade Rabbit. Each briefly told tale is a sparkling jewel that contains a valuable lesson about trust, generosity or willpower. The framework of a family celebration is effective and satisfying here, and listeners will enjoy curling up with their parents, learning about or re-experiencing some of the holiday traditions, hearing the funny and comforting stories, and perhaps even drifting off to sleep. An author's note points out the significance of the holiday and explains that "[e]ven relatives who are unable to be with their families can look up at the dark sky and know that their loved ones are watching the same moon." Lovely. (Picture book. 3-8)
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940175010795 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Orca Book Publishers |
| Publication date: | 03/25/2015 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | 8 - 11 Years |
Read an Excerpt
Tonight the moon shines like a polished pearl, round and fat. It glows bigger and brighter than I have ever seen.
Tonight is a special night.
Tonight I am allowed to stay up late. Soon there will be mooncakes to eat, sweet and chewy. They are round like the moon. They make a circle for me and Mama and Baba. They make a circle for my family.
Outside we light paper lanterns. I made one all by myself using my favorite colors. The lanterns and stars light up the sky. The moon makes everything shine like silver and water.
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