Episode #64: “A Big Mooncake for Little Star”- Q & A with Grace Lin
TRANSCRIPTS:
Grace Lin: Hello! Today’s episode is a little different because it’s only me, Grace Lin! As you know I am not only the host of this podcast but I am the author and illustrator of many books!
And because of that a lot of the questions that come in are specifically for me about my books. So today I thought I would answer some of those questions! Instead of a guest author and I answering one question, I thought today I would answer two questions that I have been receiving about my book “A Big Mooncake for Little Star”
A Big Mooncake for Little Star is a picture book. It features a little girl named Little Star who loves the delicious, big Mooncake that she bakes with her mama. But even though she's not supposed to eat any yet, that night she sneaks to the cake and nibbles away a little. And every night she nibbles away a little more, that mooncake gets smaller and smaller—just like the moon in the sky.
Now this books is my favorite book of all the books I’ve written and illustrated and that is because my own daughter is Little Star. I took photos of her and painted her in the book! So I have to say that “A Big Mooncake for Little Star” is my favorite or she would get very upset with me. So here are some questions that I received about A Big Mooncake for Little Star:
I know Little Star is your daughter, so is the mother in the story you?
Well, the mother in the story is not exactly me. The mother does have my personality in that this is the same kind of game I would play with my daughter when she was young—the kind of game where she does something naughty and I pretend I’m fooled even though we both know I am not. But the mother in the book does not look like me. I used a friend of mine as a model—her name is Ranida and she was the co-author of the book “Our Seasons” with me. She’s a good friend and let me take lots photos of her in a star-patterned dress so that I could use them for the book.
Are Little Star and Little Snow related?
What a good question! Little Snow is the main character in my book, “A Big Bed for Little Snow.” In that book, a boy named Little Snow gets a new bed for the winter. His mother reminds him that the bed is for sleeping, not jumping…but just like Little Star in “A Big Mooncake for Little Star,” Little Snow forgets. So he jumps on his bed—many, many times! And when he jumps on his bed, tiny feathers squeeze of out his bed and fall far, far below—making something magical happen. Can you guess? I’ll give you a hint—there’s a reason why his name is Little Snow!
So Little Star and Little Snow are kind of cousins. They are not brother and sister, you can see in the books that the mothers are not the same and Little Star lives in the black night sky while Little Snow lives in the winter white one. But I like to think they know each other and are good friends!
Is there really such a thing as a mooncake?
Mooncakes really exist! They are actual a special treat that people eat to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. This is a special holiday that many Asian countries celebrate in the early fall. On the night when the moon is supposed to be the biggest and brightest in sky, people gather with family to admire the moon. They hang lanterns, drink tea and eat mooncakes! Though not as big as the one Little Star has, of course. If you would like to learn more about the Moon Festival, you can read my picture book “Thanking the Moon” which follows my family celebrating the holiday.
Today’s BOOK REVIEW comes from Mila Richards. She’s reviewing Grace Lin’s book, “Mulan: Before the Sword.”
My name is Mila Richards and the book I would love to share about is, Mulan: Before the Sword, by Grace Lin. This captivating novel tells the tale of a brave girl named Mulan. Mulan must embrace and conquer an ominous, daring adventure. She travels with unforeseen immortals to obtain magical medicine needed in time to save her beloved younger sister. Will she make it? Read this book. I loved this mysterious story because 1) you want to know what will happen throughout and 2) it tells stories inside the story that are super cool. Lastly, this epic book shows the importance of family and showing pride and honor to your family. I recommended this book for 8 and up because it is super awesome with an intricate plot and memorable characters. I was enchanted by this book and I hope you will be enchanted too.
Thank you Mila!
More about today’s author:
Grace Lin, a NY Times bestselling author/ illustrator, won the Newbery Honor for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and her picture book, A Big Mooncake for Little Star, was awarded the Caldecott Honor. Grace is an occasional commentator for New England Public Radio , a video essayist for PBS NewsHour (here & here), and the speaker of the popular TEDx talk, The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf. She is the co-host of the podcast Book Friends Forever, a kidlit podcast about friendship and publishing (geared for adults). Find her facebook, instagram , twitter ( @pacylin) or sign up for her author newsletter HERE.