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The many layers of story Ching Russell has included in "Moon Festival" are all enticing. Even more, they encourage readers to do a little research. Drawing on her memories of village life in China, Russell writes as a young girl participating in the annual family festival celebrating the full harvest moon and its mythical patroness Chang O.
This richly illustrated picture book builds anticipation with its descriptions of festival preparations -- the smell of exotic foods (cakes filled with bean paste, salty duck eggs, taros, water caltrops), the sight of paper lanterns shaped like rabbits and star fruits, the gathering of relatives for a family meal, the family worship table lit only by moonlight, the singing. Words and pictures both describe a happy time in the fall of the year.
But occasional references tip readers to the fact that the young girl has been separated from her parents "who live far away" in Hong Kong, and she prays to Chang O to help reunite her with them. Although she has a gaggle of cousins to run and play with, when she is alone she dreams of her mother's return.
Young readers may want to find out more about the origin of the festival, about Chang O and why she is always pictured holding a rabbit, about the area around Canton, about Hong Kong, about Chinese foods and paper sculpture.
"Moon Festival" is Russell's fourth book about her childhood in China. It is a haunting introduction to Chinese life.
©1997, ProMotion, inc.
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