Message in the Mooncake

Message in the Mooncake is a beautifully written and illustrated book depicting a well-known Chinese folklore tale about a young girl who delivers mooncakes to revolt against the Mongolians. Su-Ling must summon her inner Tiger strength to deliver the mooncakes. Although her mother and father fear for her safety, she is the last hope for the Chinese people to overcome the Mongolians.

Children of all ages will adore this story and cheer Su-Ling on during her brave adventure to her Uncle’s house to deliver the mooncakes. Mooncakes are pastries filled with different ingredients, such as salted egg yolk, red bean paste, and lotus paste. The pastries are pressed into a decorative shape and cut into pieces to eat.

Message in the Mooncake has full-page color illustrations that allow readers to follow Su-Ling in her adventure. I loved the brilliant colors Illustrator Xiaojie Liu used and the detailed expressions of the characters. Author Sapphire Chow does a wonderful job of explaining Chinese history in a simple and easy-to-understand way. I would recommend this book to elementary school-aged children.