The Star Festival

by Moni Ritchie Hadley, Mizuho Fujisawa (Illustrator)

Overview

2021 Freeman Book Awards Honorable Mention - Children's Literature
The Best Children's Books of the Year 2022, Bank Street College

STARRED REVIEW! "Hadley has created a remarkable debut that flows elegantly, interweaving the two tales in a way that is readable and fun…An exquisite choice for all collections."—School Library Journal starred review

A multigenerational retelling of a Japanese legend.

Tanabata Matsuri, the Star Festival, celebrates a popular folktale: The Emperor of the Heavens separates his daughter, Orihime, from her love, Hikoboshi, all year—but on this day the two stars finally reunite on a bridge across the Milky Way. For Keiko, her mama, and her grandmother, Tanabata is about making tanzaku wishes, taking in the colorful decorations, and eating delicious food like nagashi somen and shaved ice. But when Obasaan gets lost in the crowd, Keiko and Mama must make their own bridge to find her again—and see if their tanzaku comes true.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807576007
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	04/01/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD610L (what's this?)
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Moni Ritchie Hadley is the author of Anzu and the Art of Friendship and The Star Festival. After attending UCLA and enjoying a career as a home/hospital teacher, Moni pursued her dream of becoming a writer. She is the founder of the Write Kidlit Now! scholarship, and lives in Los Angeles with her family and four furry writing buddies.

Mizuho Fujisawa was born and raised in Japan near Mount Fuji. After studying biology, she moved to France with her family to pursue a career in illustration. She lives in France.

Editorial Reviews

2021 Freeman Book Awards Honorable Mention - Children's Literature
The Best Children's Books of the Year 2022, Bank Street College

STARRED REVIEW! "Hadley has created a remarkable debut that flows elegantly, interweaving the two tales in a way that is readable and fun…An exquisite choice for all collections."—School Library Journal starred review

"A spunky introduction to the origin and customs of Japan's Star Festival…A satisfying family story that weaves together cultural practices and intergenerational connections."—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

★ 03/01/2021

K-Gr 2—Keiko is excited to attend her fifth Japanese Tanabata Matsuri, the Star Festival, with her Oba and Mama. They prepare by tying tanzaku to their bamboo tree, hoping the paper wishes come true, and dressing up in their summer kimonos. Oba shares the story of Tanabata, which Hadley and Fujisawa have interspersed with the family's festival preparations. When Oba is separated from Keiko and her mama at the festival, their search for her coincides with the festival reenactment of Orihime and Hikoboshi's search for each other. Keiko's clever use of the story's elements to find her Oba will have readers imagining along with her. Hadley has created a remarkable debut that flows elegantly, interweaving the two tales in a way that is readable and fun. Fujisawa complements the text with her vibrant digital artwork. The lighter colors used for Keiko and her family in the beginning complement the darker, bolder colors used to tell the story of the stars and the evening festival. The use of shadows and softer lines in the Tanabata retelling contrasting with crisper lines for Keiko and her family enhance the folkloric quality of the story. Hadley and Fujisawa adeptly incorporate food, decorations, and festival elements without getting bogged down in descriptions or definitions. Back matter includes the history of Tanabata Matsuri, information about festival food and decorations, and a tanzaku tutorial. VERDICT An exquisite choice for all collections.—Kristyn Dorfman, The Nightingale-Bamford Sch., New York City

School Library Journal

2021-03-02
A spunky introduction to the origin and customs of Japan’s Star Festival.

Keiko, a young Japanese girl, is so excited to experience her fifth Tanabata Matsuri, which will also be her grandmother’s 85th. Her mother tries to help Keiko behave, but Oba understands Keiko’s bright enthusiasm. Together they all dress up in summer kimonos, put on their geta (one of the sandals falls off of Keiko’s foot), and make their way to the festival. Oba recounts the folktale behind the festival, in which two stars fell in love and neglected their duties, causing the Emperor of the Heavens to prevent them from seeing each other. At the festival, Keiko marvels at the taiko drums, streamers, and slippery noodles. Suddenly, Mama notices that Oba is missing! The merry chaos of the festival impedes Mama and Keiko as they frantically search. When at last they reunite, they share the wishes they have made and return home after an eventful day. Themes from the folk story are woven into this family tale, the expressive text seamlessly incorporating Japanese words into the narrative and dialogue. Backmatter includes the story of Tanabata Matsuri as well as information about food, decorations, and instructions on creating a tanzaku for wish making. The warm, rich palette alternates between deep hues of blue and red and more muted pastels, with a particularly eye-catching spread of fireworks.

A satisfying family story that weaves together cultural practices and intergenerational connections. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews