February 1, 2025
A Chinese American family celebrates Ching Ming, a festival dedicated to honoring deceased ancestors. It's spring, and an unnamed child helps ready the house for visitors. As members of the extended family arrive, the young narrator explains that everyone is returning to "the city where Great-great-grandpa Fong arrived long, long ago when people like us were not welcomed." Traditional Chinese characters are deftly interspersed throughout the gently paced narrative as the family gathers, prepares food, plays games, and finally piles into their cars. Low's realistic portrayals of the characters feature blurred borders of color that exude warmth. Eventually they reach the cemetery. As rain falls, they sweep the graves of Great-great-grandpa and Great-great-grandma Fong, while the protagonist's grandparents tell stories of the ancestors. An offering of food is placed on the grave, and family members bow to the headstones and share things that bring them joy--as Robeson notes in the backmatter, Ching Ming isn't "a mournful time, but one of reverence combined with happiness." As everyone feasts, the narrative cleverly notes that now the sky is "clear and bright"--a reference to the literal translation of Ching Ming. Backmatter offers further information on the festival and the U.S.'s Chinese Exclusion Act (subtly referenced in the story itself). A solemn yet loving tribute to an important tradition. (glossary)(Picture book. 5-8)
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Starred review from March 7, 2025
K-Gr 3-A touching story about a family's celebration of Ching Ming, a Chinese festival that has been celebrated for over three thousand years. It is sometimes called Tomb-Sweeping Day, because family members sweep and dust the graves of their departed loved ones. Lily, the young narrator, guides readers through her anticipation of the family gathering as she shares how they all prepare for the holiday. She describes the many savory foods, traveling to the cemetery, and sharing what makes her happy. Readers learn about the struggles her great-great-grandfather endured when he first immigrated to America, and the importance of culture and family connections. The lyrical text is amplified by the inclusion of Chinese calligraphy. Back matter includes a glossary as well as more detailed information about the history and meaning of the Ching Ming Festival and the history of American laws around the immigration of Chinese people. Striking digital illustrations have the feel of American Impressionism. VERDICT An important story to add to elementary school collections.-Melissa King
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