THE MOON LANTERN

During Tết Trung Thu, a young boy of Vietnamese descent finds a way to honor the legend behind the celebration.

Huy is beyond excited. He’s been waiting for the Mid-Autumn Festival—also known as the Moon Festival—all year. But he wonders: “If the festival is for the moon, why are all the lanterns in the shapes of stars?” So he goes to his Ba (father) for answers. As the two make a lantern together for an upcoming competition—a tradition that reminds Ba of making lanterns with his own father back in Vietnam—Ba reminds Huy of the folktale of Chú Cuội, a woodcutter who floated all the way to the moon. During Tết Trung Thu, children create star lanterns to help him make his way back home. Huy is determined to make a lantern honoring the moon. When it comes time for the contest, Huy realizes that indeed, he has the only moon-themed lantern, and as the others display theirs, a sudden gust of wind blows out everyone’s lights—except Huy’s. He in turn takes the opportunity to relight everyone’s lantern while explaining the meaning behind his design, eventually winning the contest. Vietnamese words and rituals are deftly interwoven throughout Dinh’s straightforward, concise narrative, complemented by the cozy cartoons, illuminated with bold colors and textured with lines and shadow.

A charming holiday tale of a child honoring tradition while marching to the beat of his own drummer.