A solemn yet loving tribute to an important tradition.
A Chinese American family celebrates Ching Ming, a festival dedicated to honoring deceased ancestors.
It’s spring, and an unnamed child helps ready the house for visitors. As members of the extended family arrive, the young narrator explains that everyone is returning to “the city where Great-great-grandpa Fong arrived long, long ago when people like us were not welcomed.” Traditional Chinese characters are deftly interspersed throughout the gently paced narrative as the family gathers, prepares food, plays games, and finally piles into their cars. Low’s realistic portrayals of the characters feature blurred borders of color that exude warmth. Eventually they reach the cemetery. As rain falls, they sweep the graves of Great-great-grandpa and Great-great-grandma Fong, while the protagonist’s grandparents tell stories of the ancestors. An offering of food is placed on the grave, and family members bow to the headstones and share things that bring them joy—as Robeson notes in the backmatter, Ching Ming isn’t “a mournful time, but one of reverence combined with happiness.” As everyone feasts, the narrative cleverly notes that now the sky is “clear and bright”—a reference to the literal translation of Ching Ming. Backmatter offers further information on the festival and the U.S.’s Chinese Exclusion Act (subtly referenced in the story itself).
A solemn yet loving tribute to an important tradition. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781662620317
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Astra Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones.
Hill and Bobbiesi send a humungous hug from grandmothers to their granddaughters everywhere.
Delicate cartoon art adds details to the rhyming text showing multigenerational commonalities. “You and I are alike in such wonderful ways. / You will see more and more as you grow” (as grandmother and granddaughter enjoy the backyard together); “I wobbled uncertainly just as you did / whenever I tried something new” (as a toddler takes first steps); “And if a bad dream woke me up in the night, / I snuggled up with my lovey too” (grandmother kisses granddaughter, who clutches a plush narwhal). Grandmother-granddaughter pairs share everyday joys like eating ice cream, dancing “in the rain,” and making “up silly games.” Although some activities skew stereotypically feminine (baking, yoga), a grandmother helps with a quintessential volcano experiment (this pair presents black, adding valuable STEM representation), another cheers on a young wheelchair athlete (both present Asian), and a third, wearing a hijab, accompanies her brown-skinned granddaughter on a peace march, as it is “important to speak out for what you believe.” The message of unconditional love is clear throughout: “When you need me, I’ll be there to listen and care. / There is nothing that keeps us apart.” The finished book will include “stationery…for a special letter from Grandma to you!”
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0623-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
A charming illustration of childhood memories during the holiday season.
A colorful wintry tale ushers in Chinese New Year over two weeks.
In this picture book, the narrator recounts with nostalgia an observance of the traditional New Year in rural northern China. The snow-covered village bustles with activity as folks venture out to greet relatives and friends. “On the third day, uncles started giving LANTERNS” refers to an old custom in provincial Shaanxi—especially among maternal uncles. Palpable and immediate are Zhao Di’s eager anticipation and the care with which she “walk[s] through the snow with her lantern in case she slipped or the candle blew out in the wind.” Simple yet vivid close-ups depict Zhao Di and her friends, bundled head to toe and comparing lantern designs—accordion, watermelon, etc.—while braving the cold and a bunch of rowdy boys. All too soon, the 15th day arrives, signaling the end of the New Year celebrations. In a pivotal spread that shows Zhao Di sitting with her dog and chickens, readers are granted an interior view of the architecture and layout of a rustic farmhouse. In addition, the villagers’ various clothing styles, headdresses, and skin tones suggest the region’s diverse ethnicities and socio-economic landscapes. As the story concludes with the obligatory smashing and burning of the lanterns, Zhao Di comforts herself with the hopeful thought of lighting new lanterns next year.
A charming illustration of childhood memories during the holiday season. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Dec. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2984-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Amazon Crossing Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
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