A Big Mooncake for Little Star facts for kids
First edition book cover
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| Author | Grace Lin |
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| Illustrator | Grace Lin |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's picture book |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
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Publication date
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August 28, 2018 |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | unpaged |
| Awards | Caldecott Honor |
| ISBN | 9780316404488 |
| OCLC | 962749887 |
A Big Mooncake for Little Star is a popular picture book from 2018. It was written and illustrated by Grace Lin. The story follows a character named Little Star. She slowly eats a big mooncake her mother baked.
This book was a bit different for Grace Lin. It explored new ideas and used a unique art style. Many people loved the book. It even won a special award called the Caldecott Honor. The pictures in the book use a lot of black color. Both the words and the drawings help tell the story.
What the Story is About
The book begins with Little Star's mother. She has just finished baking a huge, delicious mooncake. She tells Little Star not to touch it.
But in the middle of the night, Little Star wakes up. She forgets what her mother said. She takes a tiny bite of the mooncake. Then she quickly goes back to sleep.
This happens every night. Little Star takes another small bite. The mooncake gets smaller and smaller. Finally, Little Star's mother finds out what happened. The story ends with them baking a brand new mooncake together.
How the Book Was Made
Grace Lin wrote this book to celebrate her favorite Asian holiday. It's called the Mid-Autumn Festival. She wanted a new story to tell her three-year-old daughter. They had already read all the old stories, like those about the Moon rabbit.
The idea for the story came after her daughter ate all their mooncakes. She was sad there would be no more until next year. Lin also wanted to create more Asian characters in books. She noticed that many stories didn't show kids like her daughter. Little Star was inspired by Lin's own daughter.
The book was released on August 28, 2018. It was published by Little, Brown and Company.
Art and Writing Style
A Big Mooncake for Little Star shows a new side of Grace Lin's work. She usually writes about her Asian heritage. But this book explores her American identity. It also teaches about the phases of the moon.
Lin used a different art style for this book. She painted with gouache on watercolor paper. Before, she often used block print for her other books.
Black color is very important in the book's pictures. It helps create a nighttime sky feeling. One writer, Samantha Hunt, said the "rich darkness" of the pages was beautiful. She also noted how the "glorious gold of the stars" stood out.
The food in the book also connects to space. Mooncake crumbs become stars. Spilled milk looks like the Milky Way. This helps show the book's space theme. Little Star eating the mooncake is like the moon changing its shape.
The strong use of black also makes the words stand out. It helps readers focus on the story. This book combines Lin's writing and art. It creates a mysterious and fun story. It's like a modern fable.
The relationship between the mother and daughter in the book feels warm and comforting. Grace Lin was very proud of the Blueberries for Sal tribute in the book's endpapers. She wanted to show "that timeless love of family." She also wanted to show how traditions and skills are passed down. These ideas go beyond race or nationality.
