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

About

This Blog pertains to books I will be reviewing for coursework in Children’s and Young Adult Literature through Texas Woman’s University Graduate School of Library and Information Science.