Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes

By The Children's Museum, BostonNina SimondsLeslie Swartz, et al.

Book Overview

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.
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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152019839
• ISBN13: 9780152019839
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 80 Pages
• Weight: 1.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.8" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 2

Customer Reviews

Superbly illustrated children's book on Chinese Holidays

This book is absolutely fantastic in it's overall illustrative, watercolor depictions of bringing about the folktales and legends to life that have influenced the Chinese holidays I have come to know and celebrate. There are great craft activities on making dragon boats for the Dragon boat festival, fabulous recipes you can make to enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine, as well reading entertaining stories from which these legends originated from. I have bought this book mainly to gain some insight into the story behind the Spring Festival of the Kitchen God for my Oral Communications Speech, and it's provided me with a recipe along with illustrations which my friend has used for our Power Point presentation. I would recammend this book to anyone looking to explore the history of Chinese culture and cuisine because it has been valuable to me.

beautiful, delightful book

... I was looking for Chinese folk tales. What a great surprise! I am totally envious of kids today who get books like these -- how I wish they had something like this when I was little so that I would have been more familiar with my own cultural background. The book is organized by following the Chinese traditions/festivals/holidays through the course of a year. Stories, recipes, activities are paired with each holiday to give you a full sense of what happens on each one of these special occasions. I recognized bits and pieces of the folklore from the stories that my mom and grandparents told me when I was growing up...so it really feels authentic (not watered down) yet still accessible. The watercolors/illustrations are beautiful to look at too. Highly recommended.

Chinese Customs and Traditions Package in Delight

From Nina Simonds, comes an entertaining activity book that combines the enchantment of ancient Chinese tales with lessons of tradition and history. A blending of delightful storytelling and colorful illustration makes this a cultural delight.

Gorgeous illustrations & culture w/o the "PC" message

This is a beautifully executed book. The watercolors alone are worth the purchase, but it also includes very clever, not too difficult activities. How can you not be enthralled by thousands of years-old traditions and folklore??

delicious! a winner!

what a delight for children and their parents and teachers!! in a world consumed by suspicion and fear of "the other" here is a wonderful and friendly guide to a culture teeming with fabulous cuisine and colorful celebrations. this is indeed one world, and introducing young children to each other in this gentle journey through kitchen and holidays has to point to a better world for all children. beautiful, colorful, easy to follow recipes, and wonderfully interesting, this book is a winner! enthusiastically recommended! norman d. levine, md