1. Bibliography -
Simonds, Nina & Swartz, Leslie & The Children’s Museum, Boston. 2002. MOONBEAMS, DUMPLINGS & DRAGON BOATS: A TREASURY OF CHINESE HOLIDAY TALES, ACTIVITIES & RECIPE. Ill. by Meilo So. San Diego, CA: Gulliver Books, Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0-15-201983-9
2. Plot Summary –
The book - MOONBEAMS, DUMPLINGS & DRAGON BOATS: A TREASURY OF CHINESE HOLIDAY TALES, ACTIVITIES & RECIPE is a wonderful compilation of traditional stories and folklore, recipes, crafts and activities that are centered on China’s most important holidays and festivals. The holidays that are highlighted in this book are: Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, Qing Ming and the Cold Food Festival, The Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.
3. Critical Analysis –
a. Characters:
Since this book is really a collection of many smaller traditional stories and folklore, each traditional story has its own characters. For example, in the first story, The Story of the Kitchen God - the characters were the Jade Emperor, the Kitchen God, the Star God and the people on Earth. In the next story, Dongfang and the Festival of Lanterns - the characters are Dongfang Shuo, the people of the city of Chang’an, the Fire Goddess, the Emperor of the city of Chang’an, the court maiden Yuan Xiao, and the Jade Emperor. And (so on and so forth) this is the case for the following stories.
b. Plot:
Each story has its own plot – most of them deal with the traditions and tales that surround the holidays. Some even help explain why people celebrate these holidays and in what ways, including why they eat certain traditional foods on that day. “This sumptuous family treasury offers stories, recipes, and activities in celebration of the major Chinese holidays” (BarnesandNoble, 2009).
c. Setting:
Each story in the book has its own setting – usually a city or town, but all of the stories are set in the country of China. Most of the stories also take place many years ago – as they are old tales passed down from generation to generation and concern the traditions and rituals that they observe.
d. Theme:
Some of the themes for the stories in this book deal with strong moral and ethical lessons (i.e. how the Jade Emperor rewards or punishes), but most of the stories’ themes are just explanations and fun stories to help clarify why these holidays are celebrated each year. This book “presents background information, related tales, and activities for celebrating the Chinese festivals--Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival, Qing Ming and the Cold Foods Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Moon Festival” (BarnesandNoble, 2009).
e. Style:
The stories in this book each capture the “Chinese” traditions and culture. The motifs of magic, usually from the Gods (ie. The Star God, River God, Jade Emperor, etc.) resonates throughout the book. In one of the stories, The Story of Chang E and Hou Yi, they begin with a “once upon a time” with “Many moons ago…”, and establish the main character’s challenge and background. The story ends with the “happily ever after” in the words – “And on this one evening every month, some say, the moon shines brighter because of the force of their love”.
f. Illustrations:
The watercolour illustrations are beautiful and illustrate foods, lanterns, dragons, and people with such wonderment. “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. Each section explains the holiday, tells stories related to it, and offers at least one activity and one recipe” (Apples4Teachers, 2009). The calligraphy in the book also shows the prominent Chinese symbols and writings that add flavour to the stories and the entire book.
“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” (Apples4Teacher, 2009).
“Each of the four sections is introduced by a dynamic, detailed watercolor painting on a double-page spread. They include a dragon parade complete with fireworks, kites flying above a family honoring ancestors at a grave, a dragon boat race, and preparations for a moon ceremony” (Apples4Teachers, 2009).
g. Cultural Markers:
The cultural markers in this book reflect the Chinese culture – and explain in detail, in the beginning, the difference between the lunar calendar (which follows the moon’s cycle around the earth) and the calendar that we normally use which is the solar calendar (which marks dates by the earth’s movement around the sun). The Chinese New Year falls on the second new moon after the winder equinox, and their year is shorter than the 365¼ days in the year we follow” (Simonds, N., 2002).
This book is “filled with delectable recipes, hands-on family activities, and traditional tales to read aloud, this extraordinary collection will inspire families everywhere to re-create the magic of Chinese holidays in their own homes. They can feast on golden New Year's dumplings and tasty moon cakes, build a miniature boat for the Dragon Boat Festival and a kite at Qing Ming, or share the story of the greedy Kitchen God or the valiant warrior Hou Yi” (Apples4Teachers, 2009).
“This stunning compilation from bestselling cookbook author Nina Simonds and Leslie Swartz of the Children's Museum, Boston, is the perfect gift for families that have embraced Chinese holidays for generations--and for those just beginning new traditions (Apples4Teachers, 2009)”.
h. Anthologies:
This book is great for families to read together, and provides activities and recipes, that even those who have never celebrated these traditions will have fun with together and maybe even embrace these holidays. Some children who already celebrate in the Chinese Holidays and Festivals may be familiar with the stories in this book; but also may really enjoy learning why they eat certain foods at this special time - these stories may provide the background information and answers to their actions.
“A two-page resource section is divided into three parts: of interest to adults, of interest to young readers, and Internet sources. Most books for young readers about Chinese holidays stress Chinese New Year; only two others feature the full range of annual festivals” (Apples4Teachers, 2009).
i. Awards & Recognitions:
This book, MOONBEAMS, DUMPLINGS & DRAGON BOATS: A TREASURY OF CHINESE HOLIDAY TALES, ACTIVITIES & RECIPE has been recognized by the following awards:
** NCTE Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Language Arts
** Parents’ Choice Silver Honor
** Smithsonian Magazine Notable Book for Children
** Storytelling World Award Honor
4. Review Excerpt(s) –
** “Gr. 4-6. 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.” - Booklist
** “The authors--Simonds, who has studied and written about Chinese culture and cooking for 30 years, and Swartz, the vice-president of The Children's Museum, Boston--have collaborated to present a rich and eclectic collection of Chinese traditions…No library should be without this well-designed, beautiful, and informative resource.” - Kirkus Reviews
** “Moonbeams is a useful, visually appealing addition to any holiday collection.” - School Library Journal
** “Written with special care by best-selling cookbook author Nina Simonds along with a vice president of The Children's Museum, Boston, the elegant book sparkles with authenticity and grace. The myths offer intrigue, festival explanations provide riveting detail, and the how-to projects encourage hands-on participation to make the core material come alive.” - Gulliver Books
5. Connections –
Teachers, parents, and students can make many connections with this book. For teachers, not just the introduction of Chinese cultural holidays, but a whole slew of activities, crafts and food is provided to make one super fun unit of study!
Some of the curriculum themes that would connect with this book could be:
“Crafts and hobbies, cultural diversity, family relationships, fantasy (creatures of myth and legend – dragons), food and cooking, holidays and festivals, people and places” (Gulliver Books, 2009).
Other connections through other books would include:
“Carol Stepanchuk's RED EGGS & DRAGON BOATS (Pacific View, 1994) is a shorter book with a similar scope, but fewer recipes and crafts/activities. Judith Karen Gee's A Book of Chinese Festivals (Steam RR, 1989; o.p.) offers a brief description of each holiday but no recipes or other activities” (Apples4Teachers, 2009).
References
Gulliver Books, (2000-2007). Book catalogs, retrieved on September 29, 2009, from http://www.harcourtbooks.com/bookcatalogs/bookpages/9780152019839.asp
Barnes and Noble, (1997-2009). Children’s fairy, tales myths & fables, retrieved on September 29, 2009, from http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Moonbeams-Dumplings-Dragon-Boats/Nina-Simonds/e/9780152019839
Apples4Teachers, (1999-2009). Chinese new year, retrieved on September 29, 2009, from http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/chinese-new-year/kids-books/moonbeams-dumplings-and-dragon-boats.html
Simonds, Nina & Swartz, Leslie & The Children’s Museum, Boston. 2002. MOONBEAMS, DUMPLINGS & DRAGON BOATS: A TREASURY OF CHINESE HOLIDAY TALES, ACTIVITIES & RECIPE. Ill. by Meilo So. San Diego, CA: Gulliver Books, Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0-15-201983-9
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