The Moon Rabbit

by Eva Wong Nava, Jason Chuang (illustrator)

Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with a luminous read-aloud about the joys of family, sharing stories, and keeping tradition alive across generations.

“See that, Mama? See the rabbit?” I say, spotting the shadows on the moon’s face.
“Yes, my precious. It’s Chang’e the Moon Goddess coming out to play. Some people say she’s the rabbit in the moon.”

Families and neighbors gather to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together. Soon Meifung and her family will join them, holding paper lanterns and moving like a gleeful parade of fireflies. But first, Meifung asks her mother to tell her, once more, the story behind the Mid-Autumn Festival—the story of Chang’e and the moon rabbit. It is a tale of nine scorching suns, a brave archer, an ancient queen, an elixir of life, and a doomed love. The beautifully told legend of Chang’e and the moon rabbit is perfectly paired with art steeped in tradition and layered symbolism to make an ultimate gift book for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Romance, Holiday, China

40 pages, Hardcover

Published August 5, 2025

About the author

Eva Wong Nava lives between two worlds. She reads copiously and writes voraciously. She believes in connecting Asia to Europe and America, and finds immense pleasure in telling her English daughters stories of Singapore where she spent a big part of her childhood. She regales them with tales from Chinese myths and literature, imbuing her stories with personal experiences of watching the Chinese opera with her mother. Her favourite Chinese opera is The Monkey King’s Journey to the West.


Eva holds a degree in English Literature and Language from the University of Hull where Philip Larkin was once the University Librarian (and the reason why she chose to go there!); a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from University College London where the Institute of Education resides, and a certificate in Art Writing from Sotheby’s Institute of Art which she undertook to better understand what the craft entails. She holds a M.A. in Art History and has taught children and adults how they can use writing for communication and play. She is the founder of CarpeArte Journal, an online space, which publishes works of flash fiction. Eva’s flash fiction have appeared in various places and her writing on art have been published in international art journals.

Reviews

[Patricia Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most beautifully illustrated book I've ever seen.

[YSBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

This stunning picture book is two stories in one. It tells the folktale of the Moon Goddess and how she inspired the Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival in China through the storytelling of a mother to her daughter, Meifung. The little girl asks her mother to tell her the story of the Moon Festival again before she and the family go out to celebrate. The tale is of Chang'e and her husband Houyi, her fascination with the moon and the image of a rabbit she saw there, and how she mistakenly drank a potion that would make her live forever, away from Houyi. In this romantic version of the folktale, Chang'e suddenly flies to the moon as Houyi watches helplessly and is heartbroken. Devastated by his loss, Houyi’s friends visit him and bring him moon cakes. This is how moon cakes became a symbol of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The illustrations and book jacket are spectacularly designed and quite beautiful. They fit the story perfectly, clearly were inspired by Chinese paintings and illustrations. The elegance of the artwork makes this picture book stand out and it will be a welcome addition to any reader’s shelf. The author includes notes in both the front and back of the book, describing the mythical characters mentioned in the book and providing information about the Mid-Autumn Festival and how the Moon Goddess is celebrated across East and South Asia, with many versions of her story, always focusing on love and remembrance. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This stunning picture book is two stories in one. It tells the folktale of the Moon Goddess and how she inspired the Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival in China through the storytelling of a mother to her daughter, Meifung. The little girl asks her mother to tell her the story of the Moon Festival again before she and the family go out to celebrate. The tale is of Chang'e and her husband Houyi, her fascination with the moon and the image of a rabbit she saw there, and how she mistakenly drank a potion that would make her live forever, away from Houyi. In this romantic version of the folktale, Chang'e suddenly flies to the moon as Houyi watches helplessly and is heartbroken. Devastated by his loss, Houyi’s friends visit him and bring him moon cakes. This is how moon cakes became a symbol of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The illustrations and book jacket are spectacularly designed and quite beautiful. They fit the story perfectly, clearly were inspired by Chinese paintings and illustrations. The elegance of the artwork makes this picture book stand out and it will be a welcome addition to any reader’s shelf. The author includes notes in both the front and back of the book, describing the mythical characters mentioned in the book and providing information about the Mid-Autumn Festival and how the Moon Goddess is celebrated across East and South Asia, with many versions of her story, always focusing on love and remembrance.

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 5 out of 5]

In China, Japan, and throughout Southeast Asia the moon goddess is celebrated each autumn on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. In this retelling a young girl asks her to repeat the beautiful love story of Chang'e and her husband Houyl. In ancient times, there 10, not just 1, sun and days were too hot. Chang'e is anguished and spends her evenings enraptured instead by the coolness of night and the moon. So Houyl shoots his magic arrows at 9 of the moons to cool the earth. Sure enough, the earth becomes resplendent in the perfect coolness of a single sun and Chang'e rewards her husband with a vial of eternal life. But she is still enraptured as she gazes at the image of the Moon Rabbit.

The pallette of soft autumn colors of Jason Chuang's graphic images are a wonderful match for the beautiful ancient story of this seasonal celebration.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s time for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and a little girl is ready to celebrate with her family. But first, Mama must tell the ancient folktale about the Moon Goddess that inspired the festival before they engage in the time-honored traditions of gathering to eat moon cakes, gazing at the moon, and releasing paper lanterns laden with hopes and wishes into the night sky. Gorgeous illustrations infused with symbolism from Chinese mythology grace the pages. End pages include a note about the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is feted throughout China, Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea, plus communities wherever East and Southeast Asian people reside.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated nested story that starts and ends with a modern family celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, bookending the legend of The Moon Rabbit. We have a dual-immersion Chinese program at our school and this will be a great addition to our library! I asked one of our Chinese language teachers to take a look and she was excited for students to have access to this. As with most legends, there are some variations. This one matches the one they teach in our school about 80% and what a great opportunity for them to see that legends are told and retold and there are multiple versions.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so lusciously beautiful. The illustrations are dreamy and wonderful. I loved learning the story of the moon goddess and the live between her and her husband. So beautiful. Now I want some moon cake!!

[Forked Radish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute, but flawed. The flaw is in the anachronistic bottle Chang'e drinks from, it's a Yuan through early Qing blue and white bottle copied after the Persian type. In other words, Western contamination! 😱

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated story that shares the story of Chang'e the Moon Goddess.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the way the author told the story, even if its already well-known for some, because it also let other people
learn about traditions in some Asian countries.
The illustrations were cute too.

[Jodi Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story with wonderful illustrations

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chinese legend of the Moon Goddess.

[Julie Hedlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is astonishingly beautiful.