MOONBEAMS, DUMPLINGS AND DRAGON BOATS

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Simonds, Nina, Leslie Swartz and the Children's Museum, Boston. 2002. MOONBEAMS, DUMPLINGS AND DRAGON BOATS. Ill. by Meilo So. New York, NY: Gulliver Books.
ISBN 9780152019839

PLOT SUMMARY
This wonderful collection of folk tales, recipes and crafts can be enjoyed by both young and old. Simonds and Swartz, in conjunction with the Children's Museum of Boston have compiled a celebration of the five major Chinese Festivals. Each festival begins with a brief description of the event and appropriate recipes and crafts to make for the festival.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this treaury, Simonds and Swartz showcase major Chinese celebrations. Simplistic terms make it easy for those unfamiliar to understand what takes place during each festival. Most are familiar with Chinese New Year. This book give equal time to The Lantern Festival, Cold Foods Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and the Mild Autumn Moon Festival. Chinese calliagraphy is shown on each page, below the title. The last page of the book lists a pronunciation guide to Chinese vowels and consonants.

Illustrator Meilo So effectively uses watercolor and gently washes her depictions across each page. Her pictures are vibrant with color. So creates a detailed, busy visual description of the each festival. One gets a sense of what takes place without actually being there. The cover is recreated within, a busy festival scene that captures your eye. All that is missing is the smell of the food being prepared.

For Chinese American children who may not be familiar with every festival, this book is a visual treat. Families could take all or some of the ideas and celebrate them together as a way to celebrate their heritage.

PERSONAL OPINION
This book was a pleasure to read. The whimsical illustrations showcased the joy of these festivals. If my own children were younger, I'd like to do some of the activities listed in the book.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"Each section begins with a one-page description of the history and customs of the festival and is followed by a four- to six-page story, from one to three recipes, and two or three crafts or games. The headings on each page appear in both English typeface and Chinese calligraphy; a guide to Chinese pronunciation is included. The ample white space surrounding the text is filled with small, whimsical watercolor illustrations. Each of the four sections is introduced by a dynamic, detailed watercolor painting on a double-page spread."

From Booklist
"Each section explains the holiday, tells stories related to it, and offers at least one activity and one recipe. Attractively designed, the pages include plenty of white space, creating a fine background for So's brilliantly colored, stylized paintings. The recipes, some of which require the use of food processors and hot woks, are often beyond the culinary skills of the average child, though interested adults can use them to broaden their children's experience of Chinese culture."

AWARDS
Parents Choice Award
Book Award Red Cedar Books Award

CONNECTIONS - READERS MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
One of these festivals could be chosen to study for a week. Each day a different story, art project or activity could be done together as a class. This could culminate on the final day of displaying the art work and cooking using some of the recipes provided in the book.

This book could be a part of a study on cultures in the classroom. Books on other countries could be used to compare similar recipes or folk tales.

Dorow, Sara. WHEN YOU WERE BORN IN CHINA: A MEMORY BOOK. ISBN 9780963847218

Chan, Hingman. CELEBRATING CHINESE NEW YEAR: AN ACTIVITY BOOK. ISBN 9781932457049

Lewis, Rose A. I LOVE YOU LIKE CRAZY CAKES. ISBN 9780316525381