by Erica Lyons and Christina Matula,
Illustrated by Tracy Subisak
Quill Tree, 10 September 2024
Starred reviews from Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly
Available at B&N, Amazon, and your local bookseller
This beautiful tribute to fall festivals—Mid-Autumn Festival and Sukkot—celebrates family, multicultural heritage, and the bounty of the season.
It’s time for Ruby and her family to celebrate two extra-special harvest holidays. For the Mid-Autumn Festival, she and Nainai pick out fruit, nuts, and red chrysanthemums from the store. And with Zayde, Ruby buys a lulav and etrog from the market for Sukkot. But something is missing to truly combine these two celebrations. Can Ruby figure out the perfect way to blend the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival?
Authors Christina Matula and Erica Lyons, along with talented artist Tracy Subisak, have created a glorious homage to two important holidays while also highlighting the importance of creative problem solving.
⭐️ “A much-needed exploration of the intersection of two significant Chinese and Jewish holidays.”
School Library Journal – Starred Review
⭐️ “Not only will this inspirational story appeal to readers of all ages, it also contains educational value by providing insights into the traditional celebrations of Sukkot and Mid-Autumn Festival.”
Publishers Weekly – Starred Review
⭐️ “A child creatively honors two special fall holidays—the Mid-Autumn Festival and Sukkot—in this uplifting story that twines two cultural practices.”
On the Book of Life Podcast
Listen to Erica and Christina (and Heidi Rabinowitz) in Festive Friends Part II: Asian Jewish Kidlit with Mixed-Up Mooncakes.
“I highly recommend this book and expect to see it mentioned among many other award-winning titles for its joy, representation, and art. I have heard books that are fun to read called “dessert books.” Well, to me, dessert is the best meal of the day, and this one is sweet and satisfying. Authentic and diverse.”
Enjoy free downloadable Mixed-Up Mooncakes worksheets and Ruby’s mooncake recipe!
