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Mooncakes
Mooncakes is 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 a perfect book for parent and child to read together, while its educational aspect makes it ideal for school libraries that wish to provide an insight into a unique cultural holiday.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
December 9, 2018
A young Asian-Canadian girl celebrates the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival with her parents in this lovely picture-book from debut author Loretta Seto and veteran illustrator Renné Benoit. As the girl describes this special night, in which her Mama and Baba let her stay up late with them, watching the moon, eating mooncakes, and telling stories, three traditional Chinese folktales are worked into her narrative, in the form of tales told by her parents. The first is the tale of Chang-E, who swallowed the elixir of immortality to keep it from her cruel husband, the archer Hou-Yi, and now lives on the moon**. The second is the story of Wu-Gang, a woodcutter who chops eternally at the cassia tree standing in the Jade Emperor's garden on the moon. The third is the narrative of Jade Rabbit, brought to the moon by three magicians, who were amazed at his willingness to sacrifice himself, to feed others...
Only the second children's story I have read that is devoted to the subject of China's Mid-Autumn Moon Festival - the other was Grace Lin's Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival - Mooncakes is a lovely little picture-book, one that pairs an engaging narrative with appealing artwork. I appreciated the way that Loretta Seto managed to spin a story about a contemporary young girl and her loving bond with her parents, while also including some moon-related folklore from the Chinese tradition. The illustrations by Benoit, whose work I know from such titles as Lily and the Paper Man , are just lovely, with a wonderfully subtle autumnal palette that felt appropriate, given the subject matter. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books about the celebration of the Moon Festival, or for children's stories that address Chinese folk beliefs about the moon.
**Folklore enthusiasts will be interested to know that this is just one version of the story. In others, Chang-E swallows the elixir, not to keep it from her husband, but to keep it from an unrelated thief. This variant of the story sees her choosing to live on the moon in order to be close to her husband, who begins the tradition of making offerings to the moon, in order to assure Chang-E that she is still in his heart.
Only the second children's story I have read that is devoted to the subject of China's Mid-Autumn Moon Festival - the other was Grace Lin's Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival - Mooncakes is a lovely little picture-book, one that pairs an engaging narrative with appealing artwork. I appreciated the way that Loretta Seto managed to spin a story about a contemporary young girl and her loving bond with her parents, while also including some moon-related folklore from the Chinese tradition. The illustrations by Benoit, whose work I know from such titles as Lily and the Paper Man , are just lovely, with a wonderfully subtle autumnal palette that felt appropriate, given the subject matter. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books about the celebration of the Moon Festival, or for children's stories that address Chinese folk beliefs about the moon.
**Folklore enthusiasts will be interested to know that this is just one version of the story. In others, Chang-E swallows the elixir, not to keep it from her husband, but to keep it from an unrelated thief. This variant of the story sees her choosing to live on the moon in order to be close to her husband, who begins the tradition of making offerings to the moon, in order to assure Chang-E that she is still in his heart.
May 3, 2022
A little girl celebrates the Chinese Moon Festival with her parents, and they tell her magical stories to pass the time.
I LOVE Renné Benoit's artwork, particularly the sweet expressions on the child's face.
I LOVE Renné Benoit's artwork, particularly the sweet expressions on the child's face.
March 5, 2020
I liked the story and illustrations, but after I read the story I had to look up what the moon festival celebrated because I still didn't know.
October 25, 2017
In Mooncakes by Loretta Seto, follows the story of a little girl who is celebrating the Moon Festival with her parents. As her family eats mooncakes, her parents share stories/folktales about the moon and those who live on the moon. This book does a great job of sharing the Chinese culture by the stories the parents tell their daughter and what the moon festival is all about. Although book itself does not have a resolution to a problem, but the Chinese folktales that are shared do. The book has no negative stereotypes shares a Chinese festival in a beautiful way. The illustrations are done by Renne Benoit. It follows along with the story and readers can see the difference from the girl's life and the folktales. The pictures are drawn in a nostalgic way. The colors are soft and the details are amazing. I am not sure if the author identifies with the culture, but the story shows that the author does not much about the tradition and culture.
September 18, 2024
Mooncakes is a soft, sweet, soothing children's book about a Chinese girl celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with her parents, interspersed with three traditional Chinese tales about the people and animals who live on the moon. Loretta Seto's gentle and lyrical prose is enhanced by Renné Benoit's beautiful and luminous illustrations.
I am a Chinese woman who grew up in America, and I bought this book for myself even though I am now in my 30s and don't have children. Mooncakes is the kind of book that I wish had been available to me as a young immigrant child. It shares the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival — the annual celebration of the harvest and the moon, and one of the year's most important Chinese holidays — without judgment or stereotype, but with respect, wonder, and joy.
I am a Chinese woman who grew up in America, and I bought this book for myself even though I am now in my 30s and don't have children. Mooncakes is the kind of book that I wish had been available to me as a young immigrant child. It shares the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival — the annual celebration of the harvest and the moon, and one of the year's most important Chinese holidays — without judgment or stereotype, but with respect, wonder, and joy.
November 21, 2022
Very basic yet informative in the history of mooncakes & the festival. Fast & short read, suitable for young children.
September 7, 2022
Mooncakes tells the story of a girl sitting in the backyard admiring the moon and celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival with her parents. As they enjoy their tea and mooncakes, the parents share a few folktales associated with the holiday. They share the story of Chang’e and Hou Yi, the story of Wu-Gang, and that of Jade Rabbit. This book evokes special memories of getting to stay up late for something meaningful with family. I love the warm colors of the soft illustrations. It really feels like a special sleepy night.
For more books on Mid-Autumn Festival check out my post.
I also have some Mandarin Chinese picks for Mid-Autumn Festival here and other book recommendations on my blog.
For more books on Mid-Autumn Festival check out my post.
I also have some Mandarin Chinese picks for Mid-Autumn Festival here and other book recommendations on my blog.
March 8, 2021
I loooooooove this. Anytime Chang-E is in a story I just love it so much more and family themes are so warm to me. The watercolor type of illustrations are so lovely and overall this book is beautiful.
Want to read
October 29, 2020This was my first time reading a story about mooncakes through a lyrical lense. This story depicts a girls who is celebrating the Moon Festival with her parents and as the time moves along her parents tell her the historical fiction that of an magical true, a jade rabbit who lived on the moon, and how a women got to eternal life. This cute yet informational story is quite an realistic plot. The scenes portrayed in this story is what happens quite often in Chinese culture on this particular day. A family will get together to eat mooncakes and enjoy the stories that the adults tell children. The plot is pretty interesting in the sense that the stories the parents told may grab the interest of children and help children bring up diverse questions to ask. There are wonderful pictures that go along with the text that really helps show the diversity of cultural traditions while not overcomplicating what life may be like on this day. Even though it is a lyrical story, the characters are pretty realistic and is quite appropriate for children to read.
November 6, 2020
This picturebook with its soft illustrations and nod to traditional Chinese fables provides a beautiful glimpse into the celebration of the Chinese Moon Festival. The book frames three fables within the context of a young girl and her parents celebrating the Moon Festival by sitting outside, eating moon cakes and drinking tea, and recounting stories. This framing draws readers into the intimacy and purpose of this holiday, as a family takes time to celebrate unity as they rest together. The fables themselves are recounted briefly, as though the little girl is hearing her parents tell them to her.
This book is appropriate for students aged 4-7, and would be powerfully used as an introduction to cultural celebrations. My school has a multi-cultural night every year, which is eagerly anticipated by my students. It is an opportunity to share about traditions and discover each others' cultures. This book would be an excellent way to introduce my students to cultures outside of their own, acknowledge cultural holidays, and find common ground in celebration of family.
This book is appropriate for students aged 4-7, and would be powerfully used as an introduction to cultural celebrations. My school has a multi-cultural night every year, which is eagerly anticipated by my students. It is an opportunity to share about traditions and discover each others' cultures. This book would be an excellent way to introduce my students to cultures outside of their own, acknowledge cultural holidays, and find common ground in celebration of family.
March 6, 2019
In this book, Mooncakes by Loretta Seto, a little girl and her parents are celebrating the Chinese Moon Festival. As they eat traditional mooncakes, her parents tell her stories about 3 different Chinese folktales about the moon. My favorite part of this book is the accurate portrayal of the Chinese culture and holiday. I think this would be a great addition to the multicultural book section of a library because it really gives an authentic view of the culture and aspects of it including traditional dress, architecture, and landscapes. The colorful and warm illustrations accented the story so well. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for 1st-3rd grade classrooms because it is wordy.
May 2, 2020
This is a great book for children to read as it teaches them about some of the folktale type stories that are told to young Chinese children during their moon day festival. The pictures in the book show a loving family and they really compliant the books story. It may be harder for new readers as the sentences are a little bit longer and the change of sense may be confusing, it is a good book for children who can already read but are not ready for full chapter books or books with a complicated plot.
May 6, 2020
Challenge: May 2020 2/31 books. Parents share the traditions of the Chinese Moon Festival with their child including the traditional stories about various inhabitants of the moon and how they got there as the result of good actions or misdeeds. The family circle is signified by the shape of the mooncakes, the lanterns, and the moon. Softly rendered illustrations in pencil, watercolor, and gouache reflect the pearl glow of the moon. Another wonderful gift for a child. This harvest festival is celebrated in the eighth lunar month of each year, in 2020 on October 1.
January 11, 2018
I visited the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon recently. While there I tried mooncakes for the first time. And that's when I was introduced to Loretta Seto's Mooncakes book. What a simple, little kids book that teaches simple truths. I learned a little about Chinese culture; I learned about the Jade Emperor, Hou-Yi, and Chang-E; I learned about Wu-Gang, the selfish woodcutter; and I learned about the Jade Rabbit. Good little book. Great art.
October 6, 2018
This book was very cozy, explaining the Chinese moon festival from the point of a little girl and her parents. I would use this book around that time to teach the children about the festival, some students may not know it even exists.
Genre: Childrens
Copyright: 2013
Genre: Childrens
Copyright: 2013
November 13, 2018
Genre: Traditional
Published: 2013
This was a heart-warming book about the Chinese moon festival. The family shares stories and enjoy their time together during this tradition.
I could use this in my classroom during a festival of cultures unit!
Published: 2013
This was a heart-warming book about the Chinese moon festival. The family shares stories and enjoy their time together during this tradition.
I could use this in my classroom during a festival of cultures unit!
December 26, 2019
I love this book, its so simple and cute and shows just a sliver of the amazing and magical and touching Chinese stories and folktales, traditions and beliefs. It set a scene and imagery without trying and is and was amazing
January 13, 2020
The Moon Festival, complete with lanterns and family and tea and mooncakes and stories! There are three different short versions of stories embedded in here, about different people or animals who live on the moon. This is a really peaceful holiday story.
March 26, 2020
Sweet story with a lot of added in bits of information on this Chinese holiday. I love how the author incorporated the stories and traditions in. Such a great way to teach children about this culture!
June 12, 2017
it would be good for teaching about holidays around the world
November 19, 2017
A very sweet book about the legends told around the Mooncakes Festival. I would have appreciated a recipe or description of the mooncakes for better visualization as I have never eaten one.
December 21, 2017
Coming from a Chinese family, I appreciate the existence of this book. It reminds me of my family traditions and the Chinese culture that have been forgotten.
June 19, 2018
Informative, adorable, and full of folk lore. What a lovely book. I particularly liked the tea pot ;).
July 23, 2018
this book is beautiful, both in illustrious and depictions of a rich family and cultural celebration.
December 7, 2018
This book has lovely illustrations, and several stories in one. It would be very nice if the recipes for mooncakes and tea were included.
February 9, 2023
The young narrator is excited because tonight is a special night (the Chinese Moon Festival) – her parents are hanging paper lanterns, she gets to stay up late, and they are making special tea and mooncakes while watching the moon and evening stars. The parents then tell the little girl a story about Chang-E, the woman who lives in the moon. An emperor had asked Hou-Yi (his best archer) to shoot down several of the extra suns that was making it too hot – but his wife, Chang-E got upset, took an elixir, and now lives on the moon. The family then continues to tell the little girl about other people who live on the moon (elaborating on how they ended up there).
Discovering foreign holidays, or holidays you do not know about, can be especially exciting for young children. I would pair this book with both other books about holidays as well as keep it on hand as an example of Chinese children’s books. It is useful because it also includes oral traditions and retellings of ‘myth’ stories – these stories that help children understand other cultures can be very useful.
I love this book! While I wish a Chinese illustrator could have been employed, the illustrations are wonderful and unoffensive. The story does a wonderful job of making ‘myths’ real and explaining them so that insiders and outsiders to the culture will understand them (also, very easy to understand for younger readers). It made me want to celebrate this holiday…in a non-appropriation way.
Discovering foreign holidays, or holidays you do not know about, can be especially exciting for young children. I would pair this book with both other books about holidays as well as keep it on hand as an example of Chinese children’s books. It is useful because it also includes oral traditions and retellings of ‘myth’ stories – these stories that help children understand other cultures can be very useful.
I love this book! While I wish a Chinese illustrator could have been employed, the illustrations are wonderful and unoffensive. The story does a wonderful job of making ‘myths’ real and explaining them so that insiders and outsiders to the culture will understand them (also, very easy to understand for younger readers). It made me want to celebrate this holiday…in a non-appropriation way.
October 30, 2021
“Mooncakes” by Loretta Seto is a story about a young girl celebrating the Chinese Moon Festival with her parents. They light rice paper lanterns, make moon cakes and tea, and sit outside watching the moon as the girl's parents share three traditional tales about the people who live in the moon. I found this book on Epic!, making it a wonderful and easy to use edition to any classroom unit on literature or cultural studies. The text is written as a small moment type narrative in the first person point of view with the interwoven folktales in an alternate, italicized font to help kids indicate the transition from the character to the retelling of traditional tales. The illustrations by Renńe Benoit are beautifully done in watercolor, with muted, soothing colors reminiscent of the warm glow cast by rice paper lamps. There are many teaching opportunities present in this book, whether it be for the theme of family, culture, traditional folktales from around the world, point of view in literature, or similes.
October 17, 2022
Mooncakes follows the story of a little girl and her family who celebrate the Mid Autumn Moon Festival together. They make the mooncakes and go to the backyard where the mom and dad begin to tell the 3 legends of the Mid Autumn Moon Festival. There’s HouYi and Chang’e , Wu Gang the wood cutter, and the Jade Rabbit. After they tell the stories of the legends the girl is grateful to be with her family and is tucked into bed by her parents. Especially if I have any students from a Chinese background in my classroom, putting this book in my class library can be a learning opportunity for other students to know more about traditions that their classmates may celebrate. It is also a way for students from this background to feel included but you also don’t want them to have to speak on behalf of their tradition so it’s important that the teacher is educated on the cultural books they choose to provide as well. This book can also be a part of a discussion about how different countries have different celebrations which is part of elementary social studies curriculum.
April 12, 2022
I really enjoyed the Chinese folktales in this graphic novel. It’s interesting to read about other cultures and their traditions. This one had tales that are linked to the moon, it has a very special feeling to it that is magical and mysterious.
I’m currently reading When the Sea Turned to Silver, which also has Chinese folktales/fairytales in it. I like how I was able to find a fabled story that I already read about in one of Grace Lin’s previous books.
I definitely want to read more Chinese folktales. They are very mysterious!
I’m currently reading When the Sea Turned to Silver, which also has Chinese folktales/fairytales in it. I like how I was able to find a fabled story that I already read about in one of Grace Lin’s previous books.
I definitely want to read more Chinese folktales. They are very mysterious!
November 17, 2019
I'm super medium on this book. My gripe is the flow, the book illustrates different Chinese folk tales that deal with the moon and in between each one the narration cuts back to the child with her parents. The present day bits just felt repetitive. AND as I write that sentence I realize that a child would totally be into that and only a grown up adult reader might be less than thrilled by it. This is a great book to read to kids that have been talking/ asking about the moon or for families getting ready to celebrate the Harvest Moon Festival.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews