The Shadow in the Moon: A Selected Bibliography

Two sisters and their grandmother celebrate a popular Chinese holiday with family. Their favorite part? Mooncakes, of course––along with Ah-ma's story of the ancient Chinese tale of Hou Yi, a brave young archer, and his wife, Chang'e. A long, long time ago, Hou Yi rescued the earth from the heat of ten suns. The Immortals rewarded him with a magic potion that could let him live in the sky with them forever. But when a thief tries to steal the potion, what will Chang'E do to keep it out of dangerous hands? The sisters are mesmerized by Ah-ma's retelling and the fact that the very mooncakes they enjoy each holiday are a symbol of this legend's bravest soul. 

Christina Matula's The Shadow in the Moon: A Tale of the Mid-Autumn Festival comes to 57th Street Books on Sunday, September 16. Read ahead and learn more about this harvest festival with selections from Matula's recommended Mid-Autumn Festival reading list:

A Big Mooncake for Little Star, by Grace Lin - A new book by author illustrator Grace Lin, it tells an original story of young Little Star and her love of mooncakes, combined with a clever way to explain the phases of the moon.

Thanking the Moon, Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, by Grace Lin - Another favorite by Grace Lin. The book depicts a modern day family and their traditions for their Mid-Autumn Festival gathering.

Mooncakes, by Loretta Seto. illus. by Renné Benoit - A young girl and her parents celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival and her parents tell her three Chinese legends around the moon:  Chang’e, the Lady in the Moon; Wu-gang the Woodcutter; and the Jade Rabbit.

Moonbeams, Dumplings, and Dragon Boats, A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities, & Recipes, by Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz, and the Children’s Museum, Boston, illus. by Meilo So - This is a great resource for legends behind popular Chinese holidays, with recipes and ideas for crafts to go along with them.  The section of the Mid-Autumn Festival covers the origins of the festival, the legend of Hou Yi and Chang’e, a mooncake recipe, and recounts an interesting story about the role of mooncakes in overthrowing invading Mongols.

About Christina Matula: Christina is originally from Canada and currently lives in Hong Kong with her family. She’s half Taiwanese and loves writing stories that will spark an interest in Chinese culture in children. She hopes that young readers will be able to see themselves and their families in the book, regardless of their cultural background. The Shadow in the Moon is her first book. She loves red bean mooncakes.