10+ Mid-Autumn Festival Children's Books

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The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month on the lunar calendar in many Asian countries. It is also called The Mooncake Festival or The Moon Festival. 

Here are some fun pictures books about the holiday!



1. A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin

This book gave me The Very Hungry Caterpillar feels. It's about a little girl named Little Star who makes a big Mooncake with her mom. Her mom tells her not to eat it but every night she can't resists and takes a bite until all that is left is crumbs. Now they must make another mooncake! This is a fun story to teach kids about mooncakes, which are traditionally eaten during the Mid Autumn Festival, and the phases of the moon.

This one is recommended for ages 3 to 5.


2. Our Moon Festival by Yobe Qiu

This book features three different families from three different parts of the world and how they celebrate the  Moon Festival, A great way to show children how different cultures can celebrate the same holiday in different ways.

Recommended for ages 3 to 10.


3. The Shadow in the Moon by Christina Matula


Two sisters are celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival and ask their grandmother to tell them the tale of Hou Yi and his wife, Chang'E. 

Recommended for ages 5 to 8.


4. Thanking the Moon by Grace Lin

A Chinese American family is getting ready to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. A simple read better suited for younger kids that shows some of the traditions Chinese families have around the holiday.

Recommended for ages 5 to 8, but I feel it's better suited for 2 to 5 as it is short and simple. 


5. Find Mom's Wok by Jung Hee Kim



Shao Ming is responsible for bringing her mother's wok to her uncle's house for the Mid-Autumn Festival but she gets distracted when she watches the dragon dance and the wok goes missing! Along the way, she meets a lot of helpful people and learns all about the different Chinese cuisines. A great book for introducing Chinese culture to kids!

Recommended for ages 5 to 7.


6. Round Is a Mooncake by Roseanne Thong


Learn shapes while learning about Chinese culture! I love the blend of American and Chinese cultures in this book. For example, the author mentions a pizza box is square and that a Dim Sum box can also be square. 

I would say this book is best for ages 2 to 5.


7. Mooncakes by Loretta Seto



A beautiful book that tells the story behind the Mid Autumn Festival as well as shares some Chinese family traditions. A great book for introducing the holiday to little ones!

Recommended for ages 3 to 5.


8. Moon Festival Wishes by Jillian Lin



Moon Festival Wishes is a bilingual book in Chinese and English. There are three separate stories. The first one focuses on a little girl named Mei and how her family celebrates the Moon Festival. The second story tells the story of Chang'e, the reason why people celebrate the Moon Festival. The last part of the book provides a few facts about the Mid Autumn Festival and asks some open-ended questions to get you and your little on talking. 

It's recommended for ages 2 to 8.


9. Moon Messenger by Wei Jie and Xia Xinxin



Maomao and his mother are unable to be with their father for the Mi-Autumn Festival as he is away on a business trip. Maomao asks the moon to deliver a special postcard to his father telling him to look up at the moon so even they though are apart, they can still bathe in the same moonlight. 

It's a beautiful story showing how love can be felt even when apart and shares one of the most popular traditions during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is admiring the moon.

This story is told in both English and Chinese. It's also part of Vox Books, which includes Chinese audio that you can listen to. 

It's recommended for ages 4 to 8.


10. Lin Yi's Lantern by Brenda Williams and Benjamin Lacombe



Lin Yi wants a red rabbit lantern, but he must get everything on his list first at the market. By the time he gets all the items requested by his family members, he does not have enough for the lantern. However, when he returns, his uncle surprises him with the lantern of his dreams. 

This is a beautiful story that introduces readers to the Chinese market as well as traditional foods eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. A story about the moon fairy is also included as well as instructions on how to make your own lantern.

It's recommended for ages 5-6, but I would say it's great for older children too up to age 8.


11. Celebrating The Mid-Autumn Festival by Sanmu Tang



Maomao and Little Mei's family are celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with their families and their dad tells them why they are celebrating. Their grandmother later teaches them how to make mooncakes. They later eat together outside under the light of the moon.

This is a great book for introducing the Mid-Autumn Festival to children!

It's recommended for ages 4 to 8.


12. The Moon Lady by Amy Tan



In The Moon Lady, three girls wish for the rain to stop so they would have something to do. Their grandmother tells them a story about when she was a little girl and how she wanted to make a wish to the Moon Lady during the Mid-Autumn Festival. 

It's a fun story with beautifully done illustrations but is better for older children.

It's recommended for ages 6 to 9.



Check out my Amazon Shop for more Mid-Autumn Festival children's books!