I’ve enjoyed Grace Lin’s colorful picture books for quite a few years.
Dim Sum for Everyone is one of my favorites–and my kids love it, too. My oldest son has enjoyed Lin’s middle grades books (Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat). For Hannukah last year, I gave him her latest book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Little, Brown, 2009). And that’s what I read this week.
This book is beautiful, not just for its exciting story–about dragons, monkeys, kings, and talking goldfish–but also for its colorful illustrations.
Grace Lin is a clever story-teller, incorporating Chinese folktales into her central story: a young girl named Minli seeks a better fortune for her poor parents. It’s like a Chinese version of the Wizard of Oz (or maybe Wizard is a western version of a Chinese tale?).
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is perfect for middle school kids, but also adults or anyone in between who loves a good story and enjoys Chinese folktales. With the colorful illustrations, it also makes a perfect gift to be treasured for years.
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