Mooncakes
by Loretta Seto
illustrations by Renné Benoit
Orca Book Publishers, 2013
ISBN 978-1-4598-1431-8
$10.95, 32 pp, ages 4 – 10
orcabook.com
We all have traditions—familial, cultural, community, etc.—which makes connecting to this rich narrative easy for children of all ages. Told from the point of view of a young girl on the night of the Chinese Moon Festival (the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar), the reader is treated to detailed illustrations and graceful text about celebrating this special night with family.
After lighting paper lanterns, the girl and her Mama and Baba sit together in the backyard and eat mooncakes and drink tea. Mama and Baba tell the girl stories about Chang-E, a woman; Wu-Gang, a woodcutter; and Jade Rabbit who all live on the moon. This text connects the importance of family, tradition and stories to one festival, but is a great jumping off point for classroom discussions about celebrations, traditions and families.
Classroom Connections: Great for read alouds, independent reading, comparing with similar stories. Reading Comprehension Strategies: Making Connections, Asking Questions, Visualizing.
Review by Amanda Forbes.
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Sept/Oct 2017 issue.
