#VelshiBannedBookClub: Grace Lin’s “A Big Mooncake for Little Star”

Today’s “Velshi Banned Book Club” feature, Grace Lin’s “A Big Mooncake for Little Star,” shouldn’t be on the list at all. The glossy black book and its illustrations dig into numerous themes -- including a mother-daughter relationship rooted in understanding and love, the phases of the moon represented by the waning mooncake, and a celebration of Chinese heritage. The book was written to honor the Mooncake, or Mid-Autumn, Festival. Books like “A Big Mooncake for Little Star,” featuring non-white protagonists written by a non-white authors -- are necessary. “We each have our story and we need to appreciate each other’s stories,” says Lin. Chinese children need to see themselves centered in the pages of books. Chinese parents need to have that special moment before bedtime where they can read their young child a story – a story that celebrates their culture and makes them not feel so “other.”Jan. 21, 2023