The Mid-Autumn Festival is on September 29, 2023 this year! Also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, this special Festival coincides with the full moon that occurs nearest to the autumnal equinox, also known as the *Harvest Moon, and marks the start of autumn.

The Mid-autumn festival is observed in China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Different countries have different names for the holiday, different ways to celebrate, and different legends behind the meaning of the festival. 

Here is a bit more information about how the 4 countries featured in this Mid-Autumn Moon Festival picture book collection celebrate:

China: In China, the Mid-Autumn Festival is called Zhong Qiu Jie. Popular Chinese traditions to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival are lighting paper lanterns, eating mooncakes, and gathering with family and relatives. The festival is based on the legend of Chang’e, the Moon goddess.

Japan: In Japan, the Mid-Autumn Festival is calledTsukimi. Traditions include displaying decorations made from Japanese susuki grass and eating Tsukimi dango, rice dumplings that celebrate the beauty of the moon.

Korea: In Korea, the Mid-Autumn Festival is called Chuseok, which literally means *Autumn Eve.* The festival is celebrated over 3 days where families get together, worship and pay respects to ancestors, and appreciate the moon. 

Vietnam: In Vietnam, people celebrate Tết Trung Thu, also known as the Children’s Festival. A special tradition is for children to carry lanterns in a procession through the neighborhood while singing songs. 

One way to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and to learn more about it is through sharing a festive read aloud! Below is a collection of Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Picture Books representing celebrations in Japan, Vietnam, Korea, and China.

Picture Books Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

Shop the Full Collection Here.

Or click on Individual Titles Below.

Chirri & Chirra: In the Night by Kaya Doi // Join Chirri, Chirra, and their new cat friends on a nighttime adventure as they enjoy all the dreamy treats that the Japanese Tsukimi Full Moon Festival has to offer: fizzy full moon drinks, sparkling flower necklaces, and special night markets glowing with lanterns. COMING NOVEMBER 1, 2022

Sự tích chú Cuội The Legend of Cuoi, the Man on the Moon by Tiny Wrist // Learn about the Vietnamese Legend behind Tết Trung Thu, the Moon Festival, in this bilingual English and Vietnamese picture book about Cuội, the man who lives on the Moon with his precious banyan tree. But how did he end up there? Read to find out!

Our Moon Festival by Yobe Qiu // Follow 3 different families and learn about their different traditions as they celebrate the Moon Festival in China (Zhong Qiu Jie), Vietnam (Tết Trung Thu), and Japan (Tsukimi)

Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival by Eugenia Chu // Introduce young readers to the rich history, traditions, and activities associated with this cherished festival.

The Shadow in the Moon by Christina Matula // Two sisters and their grandmother celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. As the sisters eat the delicious mooncakes, their grandmother tells them the legend behind the Festival and about how the very mooncakes they are enjoying are a symbol of this legend’s bravest soul.

Moon Pops by Heena Baek // A spin on the classic Korean folktale about the fabled rabbits who live on the moon. A fun book for reading to celebrate the Korean Moon Festival, Chuseok.

Over the Moon : Let Love In by Colin Hosten & Sia Dey // Based on the Netflix original film Over the Moon, this illustrated picture book retells the moving story of main characters Fei Fei and Chang’e, the legendary Moon Goddess behind the Chinese Moon Festival Legend.

Lin Yi’s Lantern by Brenda Williams // Celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival with Lin Yi. Lin Yi’s mother has sent him to the market to buy food for the Moon Festival, but all Lin Yi really wants is a red rabbit lantern. Will he be able to barter and trade enough to buy one?

Calling for the Moon by Wu Xia // Yueyue eagerly anticipates her father’s annual return during the Mid-Autumn Festival when the moon is at its brightest. However, the uncertain weather threatens to obscure the moon and possibly keep her father from coming home.

A Big Mooncake for Little Star  by Grace Lin // A beautiful book that explores the phases of the moon, and celebrates Mooncakes, a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival treat. Little Star loves the delicious Mooncake that she bakes with her mama so much that she can’t resist a nibble!

Mooncakes by Loretta Seto // Mama and Baba share traditional tales while enjoying mooncakes and tea under the night sky. These stories feature a magical tree, the Jade Rabbit on the moon, and a courageous woman’s quest for immortality.

The Best Kind of Mooncake by Pearl AuYeung // In Hong Kong’s Tai Yuen Street, a girl eagerly awaits a double-yolk mooncake promised to her, a rare treat in her mundane day at the market. However, her day takes an unexpected turn when an exhausted stranger arrives, desperately seeking food after a long journey. The girl faces a dilemma between keeping her prized mooncake and helping the stranger.

Round is a Mooncake by Roseanne Thong // In this lyrical picture book, a young girl explores her urban neighborhood, discovering objects of different shapes – round, square, and rectangular. Many of these items have Asian origins, while others are universal. The book features vivid, whimsical illustrations that complement the rhyming narrative. Includes a brief glossary that provides cultural context to the various objects showcased in the story

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*~ Do you celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival? What is one of your favorite traditions, or which tradition would you be interested to learn more about? Or if you have a book to add to this collection, please let us know so we can share in the bookish festivities! ~*

*~Also, I’d love to  see and hear about your own reading adventures you are having with your little learners, so please share your story times below in the comments ~ Or Tag me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary , FaceBook , find me on TikTok, or contact me via email . I’d love to hear from you!~*