Mid Autumn Festival (中秋节 Zhōng qiū jié) is just around the corner, and it’s one of our favourite festivals of the year!
Here’s a review of what’s on our bookshelf this month, including books across a range of reading abilities, for pre-schoolers to read by themselves, through to books which can be enjoyed by reading together with an adult reading.
We’ve selected a variety of books this year – with the help of Lin Xin at My Story Treasury – which focus on either:
(1) traditions and customs behind the century-old Chinese celebration, or
(2) fun stories about mooncakes, moons and lanterns.
These twelve books can be found in a few different places, but primarily I’ve tried to focus on books which can be borrowed from the local library (in Singapore), or purchased from local online bookstores. Three of the books below are even authored in Singapore, which makes me proud.
Part 1. Kids ‘Reference’ Books about the traditions customs of mid-Autumn Festival
It’s easy to associate this festival with just mooncakes and lanterns. Sure, the iconic parts of the festival are lanterns and mooncakes – but there’s so much more history to this harvest festival. The festival is thought to have originated about 1000 – 200 BC, when Ancient Chinese emperors worshiped the harvest moon in autumn, in the hope that this would bring them a plentiful harvest the following year. Following the emperors, the people – both rich and poor – prayed to the moon, and often held festivals. The tradition of eating mooncakes during the festival began in the Yuan Dynasty (1279 – 1368 AD), a dynasty ruled by the Mongols. Apparently messages to rebel against the Mongols were passed around in mooncakes.
You can enjoy the history together by considering the following books:
《大家来过节 1》 新加坡华族传统节日与习俗 Let’s Celebrate! Singaporean Chinese Festivals and Customs
Title: 《大家来过节 1》 新加坡华族传统节日与习俗 Let’s Celebrate! Singaporean Chinese Festivals and Customs
Author: Fu Chong (Frank Fu)
Country of original publication: Singapore
Language: Simplified Chinese
~ Pages in book: 80
~ Lines per page: 7- 21
~Pinyin: No
~ Audio available: No
~ Available in Singapore NLB libraries: Yes
Target age range: 5 and upwards (even adults will learn something!) although note the Chinese reading level is quite hard.
This book is part of a 3 book set which I’ve reviewed previously on Singaporean Festivals and Customs. There’s one book on Malay traditions, one on Indian, and one on local Chinese celebrations.
The hand drawn pictures and matter-of-fact explanations are a special way to dig deeper into the rich cultural heritage in Singapore. The “reference-type” books certainly have a lot of text, but it’s richly peppered with detailed illustrations which are easy to relate to. My children could recognise many of the drawings, and identify them as places we’ve been to or seen before in Singapore, such as Chinatown and Marina Bay. There are a couple of pages in the book dedicated to mooncakes and lanterns, and describing the local ways which Mid-Autumn festival is celebrated here.
The books are cleverly put together, with quirky aspects that would really appeal to a child who likes their facts and figures. I like that children can learn about these traditions in Chinese format, and pick up new characters along the way. My children immediately pointed out the ‘pokeball’ lantern and the ‘minions’ lantern. They also enjoyed trying to decipher what was written on the top of each mooncake.
文化都在节日里 Culture Is Found in Our Festivals
Language: Simplified Chinese
~ Pages in book: 16
~ Lines per page: ~ 20 – 30 facts per double page
~Pinyin: No
~ Audio available: No
~ Available in Singapore NLB libraries: No (it’s a bit delicate to be a sharing book!)
Target age range: 3 to 12
We don’t have many pop-up books – but this one makes up for all that! It’s physically huge in size (larger than A3 size when opened), and filled with amazing pop-up pages which illustrate Chinese Festivals.
There are two pages specifically for Mid-Autumn festival, showcasing the many different ways this festival is celebrated – from foods, to lanterns, sipping tea, reunions and dancing. My children were fascinated by the family making a lantern out of pomelo to float on the river.
The book covers 8 major festivals, and includes legends and tales too. We plan to get this book out at each festival (Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat, etc) as a special treat. It’s not the type of book you’d read cover-to-cover, but nor does it need to be. There’s just something magical about having a “special” book which comes out for celebrations.
今天我们做月饼 Today we make mooncakes
Author: Lin Wenpei
Country of original publication: Singapore
Language: Simplified Chinese
~ Pages per book: 20
~ Lines per page: 5-9
~Pinyin: Yes
~ Audio available: No
~ Available in Singapore NLB libraries: Yes
Target age range: 4 – 8
There’s a wonderful Singaporean author Lin Wenpei, who has written a series of picture books about food in local celebrations, including Mid Autumn Festival. The main characters of the picture books are a courageous sister and a playful brother, who attempt to help their families to prepare festive foods.
Through cartoon style pictures, each page shows the steps in making moon cakes, traditionally prepared at home. The playful sibling duo learn about the different traditions through preparing ingredients, and make some cute blunders along the way. This book crosses the boundary between being a factual book about the festival traditions and a fictional story.
Being authored in Singapore, the illustrations are equally local, and easy to relate to – kids dressed in simple short sleeve clothes and barefoot, rather than traditional autumn wear for Chinese weather!
The book is part of a set of eight cute picture books about food in local Chinese celebrations, which I’ve reviewed in an earlier post.
节日Chinese Holidays x 2
Author: Cathy Ju Yao
Country of original publication: Taiwan
Language: Simplified Chinese (although Traditional is also available)
~ Pages in book: 8 – 12
~ Lines per page: 1 – 2
~Pinyin: No
~ Audio available: Yes – through Le Le reading pen
~ Available in Singapore NLB libraries: No
Target age range: 3 – 6
These are two short simple books each containing short sentences about Mooncake festival, from the Le Le Chinese Second Set (Yellow Readers). The great thing about these books is that a kindergarten child can read them by themselves. Children will enjoy seeing the mooncakes, pomelos, lanterns and the simple joy of reading about the festival independently.
Part 2. Stories about mooncakes, moons and lanterns
满月 Mǎnyuè / Full Moon
Author: 保冬妮
Country of original publication: China
Language: Simplified Chinese
Pages: 30
Lines per page: 6
Pinyin: No
Audio available: No
Available in Singapore NLB libraries: Yes
Recommended ages: 5 – 12 with a Chinese speaking adult. For context, my P2 daughter was unable to read this book independently, and the concepts contained would also benefit from adult guidance.
满月 Mǎnyuè is a poignant picture book for children, touching on AIDS, adoption, death, and being grateful, especially at Mid-Autumn festival. I have written a detailed review of this beautiful story in an earlier post. It’s our favourite mid Autumn festival book this year. We would highly recommend this.
星星吃月亮 (The Stars Ate the Moon) and 萤火虫 (Firefly) and 星球 (Planets)
Author: Cathy Ju Yao
Country of original publication: Taiwan
Language: Simplified Chinese (although Traditional is also available)
~ Pages in book: 8 – 12
~ Lines per page: 1 – 2
~Pinyin: No
~ Audio available: Yes – through Le Le reading pen
~ Available in Singapore NLB libraries: No
Target age range: 3 – 6
These three short fun ‘moon’ related books are also part of the Le Le Chinese readers set – which I’ve raved about in a separate post.
Le Le Chinese is a series of highly-engaging picture book graded readers, and it has on optional pen which can read the books. The intention of the books is to “literacy through literature” – which is to say that by reading lots of books, the child will naturally pick up characters. The books use common characters from literature, and become progressively harder throughout the 300 books. We enjoyed doing a thematic study on the ‘moon’ related books from this series.
妈姐的金鱼灯笼 Majie and Her Goldfish lantern
Author/Illustrator: Patrick Yee
Country of original publication: Singapore
Language: Simplified Chinese
~ Pages per book: 30
~ Lines per page: 2 – 7
~Pinyin: Yes
~ Audio available: No
~ Available in Singapore NLB libraries: Yes
Target age range: 5 – 12
This tale follows a young Chinese girl who boards a ship bound for Singapore, in the hope of a better life. She is placed to work at a grand house in Joo Chiat Road, Katong. One of the opening pages has a lovely colourful scene when she alights from the boat, and her first sight is a group of ethnically diverse people at a market and she comments “So this is Nanyang”. She looks after a young boy from diapers until he is old enough to go to the UK for further studies – and one of their memorable experience together is her goldfish lantern, and walking along Chinatown during Mid-Autumn festival with the colourful lantern.
This book is part of a set of books called 狮城往事绘本系列 (Lion City Past Story Series) about heritage traditions in Singapore, which I’ve reviewed earlier too!
Author Patrick Yee has written/illustrated more than 100 books! Gosh I think I’m falling in love with his gorgeous illustrations with rich bright colours and intricate attention to detail.
玛蒂娜参加花车游行 Martine and the Flower Festival
Author: Gilbert Delahaye
Country of original publication: France
Language: Simplified Chinese
~ Pages per book: 21
~ Lines per page: 10 – 15
~Pinyin: Yes
~ Audio available: Yes – Luka
~ Available in Singapore NLB libraries: No
Target age range: 5 – 12
This is a French book from the 1960s about a Japanese lantern festival: the original French name translates as “Martine at the Flower Festival”, but the Chinese version is “Martine joins the float parade”. Technically it’s nothing to do with the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. However, it highlights that ancient cultures across Asia have been fascinated by the moon, and the changing of seasons, and that they also have a harvest festivals and celebrations with colourful lanterns.
玛蒂娜参加花车游行 is compatible with Luka for audio, which makes it extra fun. If you haven’t discovered the joy of book narrations through Luka yet, please see my earlier post introducing Luka Reading Companion for Chinese storybooks.
Where to buy great Chinese children’s books?
In Singapore: Each of the books reviewed in this post (except for Le Le books) can be bought from Children’s bookstores locally in Singapore. Most of the titles listed in this post are available from My Story Treasury (online) if you’re looking for a one-stop solution. My Story Treasury is a lovingly curated collection of Chinese picture story books for kids. Remember my blog readers have a 10% discount if you use “LahLahBanana10” at checkout from their store. There are several other fantastic children’s bookstores in Singapore too who stock some of these books, and buying local is totally the best.
On Taobao – if you really must do this option, look at the end of my Taobao post for recommended bookstores through Taobao’s TMall.
I hope you and your family will read and enjoy some Mid-Autumn Festival books in the upcoming weeks. I’d love to know your favourites too, so we can check them out!
