There are three major Chinese festivals we celebrate here at Mandarin Homeschool: Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Festival. Living in a Chinese minority country, I have had to create a mid-autumn feel at home, and teach my children about the festival through books. All of which I have listed down here in this ultimate Mid-Autumn Festival book list.
What is the Mid Autumn Festival 中秋节?
Mid-autumn falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month every year. Hence the name mid-autumn 中秋, as it falls in the middle 中 of autumn 秋.
This year (2021), Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 21st September. Read more about this festival on Etramping.
Mid-Autumn festival is filled with yummy treats of snow skin mooncakes and Chinese tea; beautifully lit lanterns and the marvellous moon. This sums up how you can celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival: eat mooncakes 吃月饼, play with lanterns 提灯笼 and marvel at the moon 赏月.
Chinese Books about the Mid-Autumn Festival
Compared to Chinese New Year, there are not as many Chinese books about the Mid-Autumn Festival. Here are our top Chinese picks. Some of the books will explain the origins of Mid-Autumn, the different legends and myths surrounding it, while others simply celebrate the loveliness of the moon.
This will be a great opportunity to teach your children about the moon, and the moon phases too.
《中秋节绘本3D立体书》
作者: 巨英
绘者：贠杨
Simplified Chinese ISBN: 9787541764769
📚Available on Taobao.
This is a fun and interactive book which gives you all the information you need to know about the Mid-Autumn Festival. Starting with the legend of Chang E, to the war strategy of Zhuyin Yuan Zhang, to all the customs related to this day. It is brightly and vividly illustrated which was very appealing to my children.
《中秋节》
作者: 西西
绘者: 屈明月
主编: 郑勤砚
Simplified Chinese ISBN: 9787505442627
📚We read this electronically on Ellabook Reading App.
Of all the books listed here about the Mid-Autumn Festival, this book will tell you all you need to know about the Legend of Chang E. There are many versions of the legend, and this book’s version is the one I grew up reading.
Watch the video below for a quick insight into this interactive book on Ellabook.
《伊伊中秋节快乐》
作者: 丁丁
Simplified Chinese ISBN: 9787505442627
📚Available on Taobao.
Watch the narration on Youtube.
This Mid-autumn festival book is a cute and heartwarming read (You’ll see why at the end of the book!). There are few other books in the 伊伊 festival series (Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival) which is worth checking out too.
《从前有个月饼村》
作者/绘者: 卷儿
Simplified ChineseISBN: 9787558321719
📚Available on Taobao.
Watch a reading of the book on Youtube.
In a word: Hilarious. We had previously read 小粽子，小粽子 for the Dragon Boat Festival which was a thoroughly enjoyable and sweet tale about accepting and celebrating differences.
In this book, 卷儿 has done it again with this funny tale of a big big mystery in mooncake village. Horror of horrors. On The moon is missing! 🧐 Who? Where? How? Why? Read it to find out.
《今天我们做月饼》
作者/绘者：林佩文
Simplified Chinese ISBN: 9789814791243
📚Available to purchase from Singapore bookstores Maha Yuyi.
📚E-book version available for purchase at Google Play Store.
For Singaporeans: this book is available to borrow electronically from Singapore National Library Board.
Here’s the video reading on Youtube.
I absolutely love this series of Chinese books. While you won’t know about the back stories of the Mid-Autumn Festival from reading this, you will join a Singaporean family as they make mooncakes together, and most importantly, celebrate the festival as a family together.
The following Chinese books are not so much about the Mid-Autumn Festival specifically but about the moon. But since Mid-Autumn Festival is also a celebration of the moon, they are still totally appropriate to read for the occasion!
作者/绘者: 林珮思 (Grace Lin)
Simplified Chinese ISBN: 9787521705171
📚Available for purchase on Taobao, and Amazon.
Listen to the reading on Youtube.
Very rarely do you get an English book translated into Chinese. This is a stunningly yet simply illustrated, award winning book by American-Chinese illustrator Grace Lin. (Remember this name as she has many other English books with Chinese protagonists perfect for little Asian readers.)
A little girl, Little Star makes a huge yummy mooncake with her Mummy. However, she has been given strict instructions not to eat it. Can she resist the temptation of the big, round, delicious mooncake? The answer is scattered dazzlingly against the night sky in the pages.
《月亮的味道 》
作者/绘者： (波)麦克·格雷涅茨(Michael Grejniec)
Simplified Chinese ISBN： 9787556830039
📚Physical copy of the book for sale at Taobao.
📚We read this on the Ellabook Chinese Book App.
Traditional Chinese ISBN：9789862118856
📚For sale at books.com.tw
Have you ever wondered, what does the moon taste like? The animals are very curious and are plotting to get as high as they can to find out! This story reminds me a little of “The Enormous Turnip” but instead of the turnip, you have to get to the moon.
Reading it on the Ellabook app was more fun than just a regular book as my children got to place the animals on the right spot. Hearing the animals “speak” was a good way for them to pick up conversational Chinese too.
《爸爸，我要月亮》 (Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me)
作者/绘者：艾瑞·卡尔 (Eric Carle)
Simplified Chinese ISBN: 9787533266721
📚Get your copy at Taobao.
Traditional Chinese ISBN: 9789577626721
📚Available at books.tw
Listen to the story on Youtube.
This story rests on a simple premise, a daughter’s simple wish for the moon. The loving father gets the longest ladder he can find and rests it on the highest point of the mountain to speak with the moon. The marvellous Eric Carle has created a magnificent story book about the moon, and a loving relationship between father and daughter.
The book pages open up to reveal the longest ladder, and the huge moon. When my three children first read it, they all went “Wow!” This is the true and simple joy of reading.
《小小牛顿幼儿馆 STEAM 月亮月亮》
编著：小牛顿科学教育有限公司
For Singaporeans: this book is available to borrow electronically from Singapore National Library Board.
I like to think of 小小牛顿幼儿馆 Little Newton book series as the Chinese equivalent of National Geographic Kids. In this book, we follow two young children and a robot who explains what the Mid-Autumn Festival is about, and also a scientific inquiry into the moon.
When is the moon bright? And why is it bright? Who was the first man on the moon? Included are fun scientific activities you can do at home to learn about the moon phases.
《我的月亮宝贝 》
作者：甘薇
绘者：吕勇建
Simplified Chinese ISBN: 9789863017912
📚Available to purchase at local Singapore bookstores such as Popular, which is where we got our copy from.
📚E-book available at Kada Book App. (As 月亮的亲吻）
Traditional Chinese ISBN: 9789862430781
📚Available at books.com.tw
Little Chick Miao Miao adores the moon. Because of the moon, he can go to sleep soundly every night. He has so many questions for the moon. Thus, one day, he decides to look for his beloved moon to seek out the answers. Along the way he meets Turtle, Squirrel and Elephant who joins him on his little trip. Will they find the moon and get some answers to Miao Miao’s questions?
《月亮，生日快乐》 (Happy Birthday Moon)
作者/绘者: 法兰克·艾许 (Frank Asch)
Simplified Chinese ISBN: 9787533281748
📚Available to purchase on Taobao.
Watch the Chinese narration on Youtube.
Moonbear is beyond thrilled. He just discovered that Moon shares the same birthday as him. Which means he should get a birthday present for him. Now, what would be a good gift for the previous moon? This is a wondrous and imaginative tale.
《月亮，你好吗》（My Friend the Moon)
作者/绘者: (法)安德烈·德昂 (André Dahan)
Simplified Chinese ISBN: 9787543468030
📚Available on Taobao.
Watch the Chinese reading of the book on Youtube.
“Hello Moon, How Are You?” A man greets the moon one night, and a sweet friendship develops between the moon. Gasp! The moon has fallen into the water! The man rescues the moon and takes him home, where they have a jolly good time. This is a whimsical tale about friendship which will appeal to young readers.
《月亮狼》
作者：耿彦红
绘者：齐海潮
Simplified Chinese ISBN: 9787550514720
📚Available to purchase on Taobao.
For Singaporeans: this book is available to borrow electronically from Singapore National Library Board.
The wolf is angry at the moon. He can’t catch anything to eat because the moon is shining too brightly. In a fit of rage, he howls and swallows the moon whole! The moon has vanished from the sky, but why are the animals still running from him?
English Books about the Mid-Autumn Festival
We are so blessed to have access to a huge library of Chinese and English books. While there are not as many English books on the topic, there are some highly original and creative spins on the classic legends related to the festival that we thoroughly enjoyed.
Written by Jillian Lin
Illustrated by Shi Ming
ISBN: 9781719922913
📚Available on Amazon (physical copy and e-book format) and Book Depository.
Listen to the story being read on Youtube.
“Moon Festival Wishes” contains two short stories about the Mid-Autumn Festival. First is the celebrations with a little girl, Mei and her family. Second is the story of Chang E. This book stands out for being the only bilingual (Chinese, English) book I could find. Very simple to read and good for young Chinese/English readers.
Written and illustrated by Grace Lin
ISBN: 9780375861017
📚Available to purchase on Amazon (physical copy and e-book format), and Book Depository.
📚 Ebook format available on Apple Books.
This is a reading of the book by the author Grace Lin.
If you only get one book about the Mid-Autumn Festival for preschoolers, this is the one to get. The illustrations are bright and vivid, the characters in the family are very relatable and all the customs are clearly described.
Written by Christina Matula
Illustrated by Pearl Law
ISBN: 9781580897464
📚Available to purchase on Amazon and Book Depository.
📚 Ebook format available on Apple Books.
Listen to the reading of the book on YouTube.
Of all the origin stories of the Mid-Autumn Festival, this is my favourite. Because it’s a longer picture book, and has so much more details than the other books on this list. Ah Ma’s retelling really brings the legend of Chang E to life, and also conveys the important message of being brave and wise in times of crisis.
In terms of illustration, “The Shadow” in the Moon is more modern than all the other books on this list, which may make it more relatable to readers.
Written by Roseanne Thong
Illustrated by Grace Lin
ISBN: 9781452136448
📚Available to purchase on Amazon, and Book Depository.
📚 Ebook format available on Apple Books.
Youtube has a reading of the book.
For Singaporeans: this book is available to borrow electronically from Singapore National Library Board.
This book isn’t really about the Mid-Autumn Festival, but more about shapes and Chinese cultural objects. “Round is a mooncake…square are tofu and radish cakes.” So while it isn’t about the festival, this book is a good cultural introduction to all things Chinese.
Written by Loretta Seto
Illustrated by Renné Benoit
ISBN: 9781459814318
📚Available to purchase on Amazon, and Book Depository.
📚 Read-along ebook format available on Apple Books.
For Singaporeans: this book is available to borrow electronically from Singapore National Library Board.
“Mooncakes” is a beautifully illustrated picture book which will teach you about the customs related to the Mid-Autumn Festival as we follow a little girl’s Mid-autumn night with her Mama and Baba. They eat mooncakes, drink tea, while Mama tells her about the 3 different legends related to the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Written by Brenda Williams
Illustrated by Benjamin Lacom
ISBN: 9781846867934
📚Available on Amazon.
You can also read it electronically on Epic Book App (Read our review).
Listen to the story being read on Youtube.
Interestingly, most of the protagonists of the Mid-Autumn Festival books are female? This book is the only one I have found on the subject that is male. So this might be a good one to read with the boys.
Lin Yi would love to have a red rabbit lantern for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Before he can buy one, he would have to purchase all the essential food items for the picnic, mooncakes, rice, yam etc. If he puts his bargaining skills to good use, will he have any money left for the red rabbit lantern?
Written and illustrated by Xin Lin
ISBN: 9781602204584
📚Available on Amazon and Book Depository.
A kind little girl Little Mo saves a little lantern fairy during a big thunderstorm. She brings it home and together with her family, they build a grand lantern for the village’s annual lantern competition. An original Mid-Autumn concept story that teaches us to show kindness to the vulnerable and weak.
Written and illustrated by Grace Lin
ISBN: 9780316404488
📚Available to purchase on Amazon, and Book Depository.
📚 Ebook format available on Apple Books.
Listen to the English reading of this book on Youtube.
Scroll up to the Chinese listing of this book for the full description.
Written and illustrated by: Eric Carle
ISBN: 978-0887081774
📚Available to purchase on Amazon and Book Depository.
Lovely book about the moon and the loving relationship between father and daughter. Scroll back up to the Chinese book listing for a detailed book description.
Written and illustrated by: Frank Asch
ISBN: 9781442494008
📚Available to purchase on Amazon, and Book Depository.
📚 Ebook version available on Apple Books.
Scroll up to the Chinese book listing for book description.
So there you have it, all the Chinese and English books worthy of reading for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Happy Reading! I hope you and your family enjoyed learning about the Mid-Autumn Festival too.
Did I miss any books on this list? Do let me know if I have missed out any of your favourites.
I wish you and your family a very Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. 🏮 中秋节快乐 🥮
