The Moon Rabbit

On the night of the mid-autumn festival, young Meifung asks under a glowing moon to again hear the story of Chang’e. As Mama lovingly obliges, contemporary domestic spreads morph into an ethereal realm filled with 10 blazing suns. When the suns set on the hot Earth, beautiful Chang’e dreams of living on the cool moon like a rabbit hopping in the shade. Spurred by enduring love, her husband, Lord Archer Houyi, shoots down all the suns but one, resulting in an exchange that leads to the couple’s undoing. At story’s end, Meifung takes part in a traditional lantern parade in which participants send “hopes and wishes” moonward—where Chang’e now resides. Paired with luminous blossom- and cloud-woven illustrations by Chuang, Wong Nava uses a nested telling to limn this classic-feeling work of Earth and sky. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. More about the festival concludes. Ages 3–7. (Aug.)