A feast for the senses with a sweet message of sharing.
A gluttonous ghost seeking satiety finds a friend.
An enormous appetite haunts Gwei, a blue ghost. He eschews cemetery visitors’ pedestrian offerings—a pile of oranges disappoints; a bowl of rice is beneath him. When the Ghost Festival arrives, he floats into the human world to fill his spectral belly with earthly delights—whole fish, hand-pulled noodles, custard tarts. But no matter how much he consumes or hoards in his takeaway pouch, he still feels empty. When a small orange ghost starts tailing him, begging for a bite, he hesitates. But ultimately he acquiesces and allows the newcomer to share his bounty; in doing so, he’s finally able to feel satisfied by his feasting. The story simply expresses the ideas that pleasures are best enjoyed in company and that giving can be a gift to the giver. Paired with this message are sumptuous visuals of mouthwatering Chinese cuisine, a buzzing night market, and a river flowing with ceremonial lanterns floating souls to the afterlife. Both story and illustrations are more culturally suggestive than specific and could serve as an introduction to the autumn holiday for readers new to Chinese traditions. This book could easily be discussed in tandem with other ancestor-focused holidays like the Day of the Dead. Illustrated backmatter dives deeper into Ghost Festival celebrations and the spectral pantheon of Chinese folklore.
A feast for the senses with a sweet message of sharing. (glossary, bibliography) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9798217002795
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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