• Age: 4 to 8
• Grade: p to 3

This beautiful tribute to fall festivals—Mid-Autumn Festival and Sukkot—celebrates family, multicultural heritage, and the bounty of the season. Give this to readers who love Two New Years and The Very Best Sukkah.

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.

Christina Matula grew up in Ottawa, Canada. Being a child of immigrant parents, she has always been curious about other cultures and far-off places. Dumplings are her favorite food, especially her mother’s savory Taiwanese jiaozi and her father’s sweet Hungarian gomboc. She is the author The Shadow in the Moon and the Holly-Mei middle-grade series. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Hong Kong and now lives in Finland with her husband, two children, and puppy.

Christina Matula's profile page

Tracy Subisak is the author and illustrator of Sorry, Snail and the award-winning Jenny Mei Is Sad and the illustrator of several picture books, including Amah Faraway and This Book Is Not for You! Her books have been featured in publications such as the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. She is of Polish and Taiwanese heritage and currently resides in Taiwan. Visit her at tracysubisak.com.

Tracy Subisak's profile page

Erica Lyons is a Hong Kong–based children’s book author focusing on picture books through young adult novels. She is an active member of Hong Kong’s Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She is the chair of the Jewish Historical Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Delegate to the World Jewish Congress, and the founder and director of PJ Library Hong Kong. She is the mother of five children. Visit her at erica-lyons.com.

Erica Lyons' profile page

"Lovely. The authors and illustrator effectively convey the fundamentals of both holidays to newcomers while also providing readers of Chinese and Jewish descent with a wonderful mirror that reflects their experiences. A much-needed exploration of the intersection of two significant Chinese and Jewish holidays." — Kirkus Reviews (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. Readers will enjoy this book as a bedtime story or as part of an art activity event where they make their own mixed-up mooncakes." — School Library Journal (starred review)

“This uplifting story twines two cultural practices. Matula and Lyons describe the autumnal events and interpersonal relationships in affectionate prose." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Will surely invite readers to consider the cultural combinations they're familiar with in an increasingly multicultural world.” — Booklist

“A suc­cess­ful effort to blend these two mean­ing­ful hol­i­days togeth­er. Beau­ti­fully illus­trat­ed.” — Jewish Book Council