Look, Lenore. 2001. Henry's First-Moon Birthday. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Jenny and GninGnin, her grandma, are preparing for a very special day. It is her brother's first month birthday, or his first-moon, as it is called in Chinese. Together they prepare soup, make tea, decorate banners and get the house ready for all of the visitors. As friends and relatives begin to arrive, Jenny's job is to make sure that her cousins do not wake baby Henry, although she can't resist and pinches him when no one is looking. Everyone is very impressed with how well Henry looks and how he is such a wonderful baby. Jenny can't wait to tell him how wonderful his first-moon birthday was and how lucky he was to have her in charge.
This cultural story describes the the traditions of the first-moon birthday through the eyes of a young girl. Readers can learn about Chinese culture such as making red eggs to welcome the baby and hanging a gold chain and coins around the baby's neck. Lenore Look, the illustrator, manages to brightly fill each page with bright, cheery colors. The child-like illustrations give us even more insight to the special event through the eyes of the young girl. This would be a great book to use in teaching children about ways different cultures celebrate birthdays.
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