A handsome introduction to the Chinese Moon Festival’s origins and celebrations.
A family shares the story of the Moon Goddess.
On the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a youngster named Meifung—apparently of Chinese descent—sees the shape of a rabbit in the moon and asks Mama to tell the story of Chang’e. Mama’s told the tale hundreds of times before, but she happily obliges, describing how, long ago, when 10 suns blazed in the sky, a beautiful woman named Chang’e and an archer called Houyi fell in love. When Chang’e lamented the scorching heat, Houyi used his magical arrows to shoot down nine of the suns. The Earth was now a perfect temperature, and the Queen Mother of the West rewarded Houyi with a potion for long life. Unwilling to live forever without his beloved, Houyi hid the potion away, but one day, the curious Chang’e found it and, not knowing what would happen, drank it. She rose up into the sky until she was one with the moon. Gazing up, Houyi often saw his wife chasing a rabbit; people today say that the rabbit and Chang’e “became one and the same.” They call her the Moon Goddess, blessing everyone from above. With this serenely told story complete, the modern-day family heads out to celebrate the holiday with lanterns that float up into the sky. Chuang’s accompanying artwork is a colorful blend of traditional Chinese and modern styles, depicting lush and magical scenes befitting the grand legend.
A handsome introduction to the Chinese Moon Festival’s origins and celebrations. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9781536238914
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
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
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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