Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

I have not seen a more beautiful book all year. The dust jacket of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin shows a Chinese peasant girl riding on a deep red dragon through a deep dark blue lake. Above and below are intricate borders filed with magical creatures and letters. Single color sketches start each chapter, and for key scenes, there are beautiful framed full color sketches. Before I read a word I was charmed.

I'd like to read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon to a child sometime, for it would be ideal for nap or bedtime. With its stories inside the story there are many natural places to stop and promise more later. The story of Minli is so captivating, however, that the reader and the listener are not going to want to stop. I imagine we might read the book a second or third time. It's so good. I'd also like further stories, particularly about the twins A-Fu and Da-Fu. In the meantime, I will have to check out some of Grace Lin's other books.

Thanks to Uma who reviewed Where the Mountain Meets the Moon at Thommy Ford Kids.

Lin, Grace. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Little Brown and Company, 2009. 278p. ISBN 9780316114271.