Simonds, Nina, et al. 2002. MOONBEAMS, DUMPLINGS, & DRAGON BOATS: A TREASURY OF CHINESE HOLIDAY TALES, ACTIVITIES & RECIPES. Ill. by Meilo So. San Diego: Harcourt. ISBN 0152019839.

This compilation of traditional stories, legends, folklore, recipes, and suggestions for engaging multicultural activities is a readable resource and a visual treat. The book covers five major holidays and is divided into four sections covering a full year of festivals: Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival in late winter; Qing Ming and the Cold Foods Festival of spring; the Dragon Boat Festival of summer; and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Each holiday is explored with a brief history and an explanation of traditional holiday customs, a story, and two-three craft activities and recipes for customary holiday foods.

Recipes are given for Rabbit-in-the-Moon cookies, fresh spring rolls, tea eggs, sweet rice balls, and more. Instructions for crafts cover Chinese shuttlecocks, kites, bamboo clackers, paper pinwheels and lanterns, and a shadow puppet theater. The book also includes a guide to the pronunciation of Chinese words, a listing of the animals of the Chinese zodiac, notes about the Chinese lunar calendar, further resources for adults and young readers, and internet sites of interest.

The watercolor and ink illustrations by award-winning artist Meilo So are lively and bright, full of color and whimsy. Many pictures feature children and families enjoying holiday traditions together. Calligraphy by So Hing Bun gives an added dimension throughout the book as headings are given in both English typeface and Chinese characters.

Reviews and Awards

Publishers Weekly: “Step-by-step illustrations aid in food preparation or crafts such as New Year Prints or Good Luck Characters in this elegantly designed volume. “

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

Booklist: “Attractively designed, the pages include plenty of white space, creating a fine background for So's brilliantly colored, stylized paintings.”

Connections

This volume is an excellent resource for multicultural classroom units or library story programs to celebrate Chinese New Year. I’ve personally used the tale of “Dongfang and the Festival of Lanterns” numerous times by using enlarged color copies of the illustrations as flannel board pictures to accompany an abridged story text. After the story, the children make paper lanterns, we munch pre-cooked sweet rice balls, and then hold a little Parade of Lanterns around the Children’s Library.