Mid-Autumn Festival just around the corner, and for little ones who don’t know better, it’s easy to associate the festival with just mooncakes and lanterns. However that’s much more to this traditional Chinese festival than that and books are a great way to introduce your kids to the customs and traditions behind Mid-Autumn.
Georgette’s Mooncakes
Written by Adeline Foo
Illustrated by Lee Kowling
The folktale of how the Chinese overthrew Mongol rule through messages smuggled through mooncakes is brought to life through the eyes to two little girls who have been magically transported back to that period. The book features the works of Singapore artist Georgette Chen whose still arts works frequently showcased the Mid-Autumn Festival.
For more information about Georgette’s Mooncakes, click here and here.
Lin Yi’s Lantern: A Moon Festival Tale
Written by Brenda Williams
Illustrated by Benjamin Lacombes
Discover how the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival is celebrated in China as you follow Lin Yi as he does his best to buy everything on his list for his mother, and hopes to have enough leftover to buy himself a red rabbit lantern for the festival. Also included at the end of the book is the story of the Moon Fairy, Chang Er, as told by Lin Yi’s uncle, as well as instructions on how to make your own Chinese lantern.
For more information about Lin Yi’s Lantern: A Moon Festival Tale, click here and here.
Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
By Grace Lin
This is the book to read if your kids are curious about the various traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Kids will read about sharing mooncakes with family members under the full moon, feasting on pomelos, sipping on cups of tea and carrying beautifully lit lanterns. There are additional notes for adults that detail the reasons behind the various customs, so it might be an informative read for the grown-ups too.
For more information about Thanking The Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, click here and here. The book is also available on iTunes here.
