BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Simonds, Nina, Leslie Swartz, and The Children’s Museum Boston. 2002. Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats. Ill. by Meilo So. New York, NY: Harcourt Inc. ISBN: 9780152019839

PLOT SUMMARY:

Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats is a beautiful book that features the four major Chinese Festivals, Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, Qing Ming and the Cold Food Festival, The Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Each section begins with a description of the festival and the history behind it and has a collection of stories, activities, and recipes that can be shared with children.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

This book is brimming with fun activities as well as facts and information about China and the holidays celebrated there. There are plenty of fun craft activities that are tied to the celebrations that have clear instructions included with materials listed needed to complete the activities. None of the activities are overly difficult. The craft activities are designed to delight a child especially if they have made the item themselves. The Chinese Shuttlecock with its colorful tissue paper and the game that follows once the shuttlecock is complete is a perfect example. The paper lanterns for the Lantern Parade are another fun uncomplicated project to complete.

The recipes are simple and look to be a perfect activity to share with a child. Fresh Spring rolls and Sweet Rice Balls are just two examples of the very manageable recipes included.

The artwork is bright, vibrant watercolors with illustrations on every page, accompanying the recipes, activities, and legends told. Even if a child was not going to be participating in a festival activity, the stories included and the exquisite illustrations on each page would surely hold their attention. The animals of the Chinese Zodiac are especially sweet and may even inspire children to try watercoloring similar animals.

This book does a wonderful job of including historical information and covers many legends. This is a terrific book to share with children and allows them a chance to learn and participate in other cultures festivities.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

School Library Journal: “Moonbeams is a useful, visually appealing addition to any holiday collection.”

Booklist: “This brightly illustrated, large-format book introduces Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, Qing Ming and the Cold Foods Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.”

Kirkus Reviews: “Gorgeous watercolors complement and brighten each sampling as well as attract readers with their simple beauty and elegance.”

CONNECTIONS:

• For further cultural connections to Asia for children, try this website:
www.asiaforkids.com

• Other books with stories and activities about the Chinese New Year:

Chan, Hingman. Celebrating Chinese New Year: An Activity Book. ISBN: 9781932457049

Roberts, Cindy. Chinese New Year For Kids. ISBN: 9780970733252

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Young, Ed. 2004. The Lost Horse. San Diego, CA: Harcourt. ISBN: 9780152050238

PLOT SUMMARY:

Sai, a wise man with a son and a strong horse has a good life, until a bolt of lightening scares his horse off. Friends come to offer comfort but Sai, responds that perhaps it is not such a bad thing that he has lost his horse. When the horse returns with a strong mare next to him, Sai’s friends are happy for him and offer him congratulations. Sai responds that maybe that isn’t such a good thing. Later his son rides the horse and is tossed off and breaks his leg. When war breaks out, his son is unable to fight due to his injury and therefore spared from going into battle. The twists and turns that life brings are not always what they seem.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The text to this folktale is short and the message it delivers is clear. Not everything is what it seems. Often what may seem to be a hardship can turn out for the best in the long run. What may seem like a blessing can often turn into a hardship. The lesson of this tale is to trust what life brings you.

This simple tale is complimented with Ed Young’s artwork. The illustrations are a combination of watercolor and collage and are very soft and subtle. Especially dramatic is the picture of men going off to war dressed in dark grey and their horses shrouded in black. The final illustration showing Sai and his son living in peace and harmony is punctuated with brighter happier colors.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

School Library Journal: “A wonderful elaboration on an ancient Chinese proverb and story dating from the Han Dynasty.”

Kirkus Reviews: “Young’s sensitive illustrations portray both panoramic sweeps of life in ancient China, and the individual characters in the story.”

CONNECTIONS:

• Classroom discussion about learning to accept changes that life can bring and that sometimes the bad can bring good and visa versa.

• Other Chinese folktales by Ed Young:

Young, Ed. Mouse Match: A Chinese Folktale. ISBN: 9780152014537
Young, Ed. Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac. ISBN: 9780805060492

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Lowell, Susan. 2000. Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella. Ill. by Jane Manning. USA: Harper Collins. ISBN: 0060274468

PLOT SUMMARY:

In this rendition of the Cinderella fairytale, the setting is the Wild West. Complete with cowboys, rodeos and square dancing. Cindy Ellen’s father married a very ornery second wife with two very ornery daughters. Poor Cindy Ellen with her sweet and gentle way doesn’t stand a chance with the new stepmother and sisters. Cindy Ellen is put to work doing all of the hard and dirty work around the ranch.

When everyone dresses up and goes off to a big rodeo celebration, Cindy Ellen is left behind in her tattered clothes. That is when Cindy Ellen meets her fairy godmother. The fairy godmother makes it possible for Cindy Ellen to attend the big celebration where she meets Joe Prince. Things begin to look up for Cindy Ellen as she finds gumption and courage to face up to her mean stepsisters and stepmother. Cindy Ellen and Joe Prince marry and live happily ever after.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The story of Cindy Ellen follows the story line of Cinderella closely. What is fun and unique in this retelling is the Wild West setting. The text is rich with words used in the rodeo and square dancing: figure eight, butterfly, wedding ring, daisy chain, whirlaway and curlicue.

The illustrations are watercolors done in the rich colors of the west. The colorful outfits that Cindy Ellen receives from her fairy godmother light up the page and depicts the delight she is feeling with her chance at riding in the rodeo. The illustrator does a fine job in portraying the ornery stepmother. As she stands, hands on hips, hair flying wildly, belting out orders to Cindy Ellen, we see that her entire profile matches the harsh jagged mountains in the background.

The underlying themes of the tale are positive. Sometimes you need the help of others to help find your way. Your inner courage and gumption are gifts we all have and should use.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

Kirkus Review: ” Bright, stylish, and with a boosterish concluding note on women in rodeo.”

School Library Journal: “The text is lengthy for a picture book, but is told in language as lively, colorful, and detailed as the watercolor illustrations, and is a delight to read aloud.”

Children’s Literature: “The “yee haw” western lingo provides a barrelful of read-aloud fun, and the colorful illustrations crackle with energy and wit.”

•For other Wild West remakes by Susan Lowell try:

Lowell, Susan. The Bootmaker and the Elves. ISBN: 9780531300442
Lowell, Susan. The Three Little Javelinas: Los tres pequenos jabalies. ISBN:
9780873585422

•To learn more about rodeos try:

Munro, Roxie. Rodeo. ISBN: 9781933979038
Gabbert, Lisa. An American Rodeo: Riding and Roping. 9780823953394