Barefoot Books- LadyD: Book Review of Lin Yi's Lantern: A Moon Festival Tale by Brenda Williams

Lin Yi's Lantern

A Moon Festival Tale

Meet Lin Yi — a little boy with a big heart and a talent for bargaining. Tonight is the moon festival and he wants nothing more than a red rabbit lantern; but first he must buy the things his mother needs at the market. This heartwarming story shows the rewards of putting others first, and includes educational notes at the end about the Chinese moon festival, life in rural China, and the legend of the moon fairy.

Ages 5 to 9 years
Written By: Brenda Williams
Illustrated By: Benjamin Lacombe

This book glows as warm as a real Chinese lantern.

"Lin Yi's Lantern is a stunning book in every way. This is a heartwarming story of a young boy, struggling to balance his desires with his responsibilities, as he helps his family prepare for the Chinese Moon Festival. The gorgeous, warm illustrations not only convey the emotions of Lin Yi and overall mood of the tale, but also detail the beauty of the fabrics, rooftops, bridges and latticework of the Chinese culture.

A new favorite in my house! (ages 3, 5 and 8... and me!)

The Moon Festival is a mid-Autumn harvest celebration which takes place on the 15th day of the the month on the Chinese lunar calendar. Lin Yi's Lantern would make an excellent jumping-off point for a home or classroom cultural study! So many possibilities!"

Lisa Abrahamson says:

"It is a beautiful story about a little boy who tries very hard to be clever at bargaining in the local market in order to have enough money left over to buy a red rabbit lantern for the lantern festival. In the end to his great disappointment he does not have enough money to buy the lantern- however the story has a happy ending! In today's culture of instant gratification, this book illustrates in a delicate way how to accept disappointment and not expect instant gratification. It also illustrates how meaningful a gift can be when one least expects it!"

Kathleen von Raesfeld says:

"Lin Yi's Lantern is a sweet story of culture, grace and family relationships. Li Yi's mother gives him a job and he stays on task. There are temptations along the way but because he does the right thing, there is reward. The art is breathtaking and the characters are quite like-able. I also LOVE the step by step instructions on making a Chinese lantern in the back of the book. This really makes our reading time into quality time spent together talking about difficult choices in life and how choose to handle them. "

About The Book:

This delightful story begins with a beautiful Chinese mother sharing her market list with her young son. She sends him off to purchase moon cakes, star fruit, rice and yams. In addition to getting peanuts for his Uncle, Lin Yi hopes to purchase a red rabbit lantern for himself if there is enough money leftover to bargain with. A wonderful lesson on responsibility, thinking of others and the joy of receiving a gift!

In the back of the book you'll find:

* The Legend Of the Moon Fairy told by Lin Yi's Uncle Hui.

* Make A Chinese Lantern

* Market Life In China