Surprise Moon
"I wrote Surprise Moon to take children on a delightful journey into the Vietnamese culture."
Book Description:
Nick shows his friends how to celebrate the Vietnamese Autumn Moon Festival. They're in for a delicious surprise!Levels: Guided Reading Level I
Intervention: 16
DRA: 16
Paperback, 16 pages, 211 words + Note
Sample Pages:
"It's party time!" said Nick.
"Is it your birthday?" asked Pam.
"No," said Nick. "It's the Autumn Moon Festival."
"What's that?" asked Bob.
"It's a holiday in Vietnam, where my dad is from," said Nick.
"We can carry lanterns in a parade," said Nick.
"I want the red car," said Pam.
"I want the blue fish," said Nick.
"I don't want the pink butterfly," said Bob.
Buy the Book:
Available as a 6-pack from www.bebopbooks.com (click on Orders.)Activity:
Have a Moon Festival Parade!Have the children wear Vietnamese conical hats, carry either a paper lantern or a noisemaker, and walk to Vietnamese music.
Look for inexpensive Vietnamese conical hats and small paper lanterns at Asian markets. Although lanterns are usually carried at the end of a stick, it might be safer to forget the sticks.
You can make a fake paper lantern from a colored paper rectangle (8.5 x 5.5) and a piece of string. Bring together the two short sides of the paper to form a cylinder. Tape in place. Tape the two ends of the piece of string to the opposite sides of the cylinder, at the top. Carry your "lantern" by the string.
Children can make noise by clapping hands, tapping an aluminum foil dish, or tapping a tambourine.
Download free Vietnamese folk music from the Internet:
At the Vietnam Style Web site:(www.vnstyle.vdc.com.vn/myhomeland/arts_style/traditionaltheatres/
Ly_song.html - requires RealOne Player, which can be downloaded for free), consider the following music:
The mynah across the river (5 minutes, slow, female voice; a mynah is a talking bird)
The black horse (2:18 minutes, fast, instruments only with galloping hoofbeats!)
Evenings (2:59 minutes, slow, instruments only)
The cotton tree (1:35 minutes, fast, instruments only)
At the Vietnamese Midi Heaven Web site: (www.geocities.com/vietky/vietmidi.htm) look at the column labeled "Styles," and scroll down to the 8th song, the only one labeled "Dan Ca" (folk music, 7:35 minutes, slow, instruments only).
Illustrator Felicia Hoshino:
Felicia Hoshino was born in San Francisco, California. A graduate of the California College of the Arts, she is a full-time illustrator and graphic designer. As a child, she enjoyed celebrating customs of her own Japanese heritage, including making gyoza, Japanese dumplings, with her mother.See more of Felicia's pictures at:
www.felishino.comFurther reading:
Moon Festivalby Ching Yeung Russell, illustrated by Christopher Zhong-Yuan Zhang
Picture Book
Boyds Mills Press, 2002
This story of children celebrating the traditional autumn Moon Festival is based on the author's memories of her childhood in China.
The Moon Lady
By Amy Tan, illustrated by Gretchen Schields
Picture Book
Aladdin, 1995
A Chinese grandmother tells her three granddaughters a tale of childhood adventure and learning on the evening of the autumn Moon Festival.
Sam and the Lucky Money
by Karen Chinn, Cornelius Van Wright, Ying-Hwa Hu
Picture book
Lee and Low Books, 1997
A Chinese New Year story.
(The Chinese lunar calendar is also used by the Vietnamese, who celebrate the Vietnamese New Year or Têt.)
Children Just Like Me: Celebrations!
by Anabel Kindersley, Barnabas Kindersley
64 pages
DK Publishing Inc, 1997
Children's cultural traditions all over the world.
Kids Around the World Celebrate!: The Best Feasts and Festivals from Many Lands (Kids Around the World Series)
by Lynda Jones
128 pages
Wiley, 1999
Click on other titles by Caroline Hatton:
Where Is My Puppy?
A Pet for Grandma
Véro and Philippe
The Night Olympic Team