Rabbit Mooncakes [Library Binding]

Hoong Yee Lee Krakauer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1994 | Age Level: 5 and up

Two Chinese American sisters do not look forward to playing the piano for their large family during the Harvest Moon Festival.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Krakauer's enthusiastic, autobiographical debut recounts her family's celebration of the Harvest Moon Festival, a Chinese holiday of thanksgiving. At the center of the tale is Hoong Wei, the author's spunky younger sister, who fears that their relatives will make fun of her piano playing when she and Hoong Yee accompany the family sing-along. After a day filled with cooking, eating and playing, Hoong Wei convinces Hoong Yee to hide with her in their favorite crab apple tree. When the girls realize they are missing all the fun of the music, they scamper eagerly to the keyboard. Despite its appealing depiction of Chinese American life, the overlong story rambles from one episode to the next, diluting the charm of the central theme. The antic, cartoon-like illustrations, meanwhile, are ripe with details that reflect a comfortable mix of Eastern and Western cultures. Chinese idioms, sprinkled throughout the dialogue, are defined in a glossary preceding the text. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-A warm, authentic Chinese family story. Krakauer draws on childhood memories for this story of a suburban Chinese immigrant family celebrating the Harvest Moon Festival, the "Chinese version of Thanksgiving." While her family prepares for the evening festivities, Hoong Wei worries. Expected to play the piano, she fears that her relatives will laugh at her mistakes. To make matters worse, her older sister plays perfectly. Though Hoong Wei tries to escape several times, her performance-and her loud mistake-is inevitable. Yet her family's reaction comes as a surprising epiphany. The bilingual text for one of China's most famous poems is included, but it is not attributed to the Tang Dynasty poet, Li Po. Unfortunately, the cartoonlike illustrations detract from the story. Facial expressions, created with a few lines, are cliched caricatures. Occasionally the sisters wear stock smiley-faces. The figures are drawn without volume or substance, and the art overall lacks a unifying style possessed by those masters of cartoon drawing, Bill Peet and Bernard Waber. This is a pity, for realistic stories about the everyday life of modern Chinese children, in America or overseas, are rare.
Margaret A. Chang, North Adams State College, MA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Joy St Books (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316503274
• ISBN-13: 978-0316503273
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,886,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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