An enchanting tribute to a beloved holiday and warm acknowledgment that familial bonds are a constant despite change.
On the eve of an autumnal holiday, a young girl grapples with change.
Pearl loves to celebrate the Mooncake Festival (also called the Mid-Autumn Festival, which in many Asian countries honors the full moon), but this year proves more complicated. Her Bàba, a pilot, is away for work and won’t be able to swing her in his arms toward the moon; her older sister, Jiějie, is away at college and can’t make paper lanterns with her. And Yéye (Grandfather), who used to tell her the story of the goddess Chang’e, recently died. Māma explains that changes, even unwelcome ones, are a natural part of life. The arrival of Nǎinai (Grandmother) marks a turn in perspective as she unpacks ingredients to make traditional holiday foods, including the essential mooncakes. Pearl feels better; she begins making paper lanterns and chats by video with Bàba and Jiějie. “My moon’s gone from sight but still here,” Bàba says. “Just like Yéye,” responds Pearl. Pham and Nguyễn’s artful use of light and shadow brings warmth and depth to the characters, surrounded by textured sceneries. Their illustrations chart Pearl’s emotional arc as she finds joy and connection in long-held traditions, realizing that no matter what, her absent family members are always with her. Mandarin words are deftly incorporated throughout.
An enchanting tribute to a beloved holiday and warm acknowledgment that familial bonds are a constant despite change. (glossary, author’s note, more information, craft, recipe) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9798889837183
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beaming Books
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
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
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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