Review: Miya's Mooncakes by Crystal Z. Lee

Name: Miya's Mooncakes
Author: Crystal Z. Lee

One child. One thoughtful idea. A neighborhood reminded that kindness can bring everyone together.

Welcome to my stop on the iRead Book Tours tour for Miya's Mooncakes by Crystal Z. Lee, illustrated by Allie Su.

I shared this colorful picture book with my seven-year-old grandson, and it gave us so much to discover and discuss. Along with learning about the Mid-Autumn Festival and its traditions, we explored a meaningful story about empathy, inclusion, and the difference even the smallest act of kindness can make.

Keep reading to learn more about the book, discover what captured our attention, and enjoy an interview with author Crystal Z. Lee.

Miya's Mooncakes
By Crystal Z. Lee
Published by Balestier on 06/25/2026
Genres: Children's Picture Book
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 40

It's almost time for Miya's favorite holiday, the Mid-Autumn Festival. She loves all the holiday traditions: moon gazing, lighting lanterns, and best of all, baking and eating mooncakes!

Miya notices that many in her town seem to have lost the holiday spirit lately, including her father. She has an idea to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in a more meaningful manner this year. It will involve some extra special mooncakes and the entire neighborhood. Can Miya pull it off in time for the festival?

This is a story of ingenuity, empathy, creating new traditions while honoring old ones. It's also an ode to neighbors, immigrants, and all those that make up a community!

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review. All opinions and thoughts shared here are entirely my own.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Reader Resources

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Reader Info at a Glance

Best For	Families, classrooms, and young readers who enjoy culturally rich stories with positive messages
Pacing	Gentle and engaging
Themes	Empathy, inclusion, cultural traditions, community, and small acts of kindness
Discussion Value	Excellent for conversations about respecting differences, helping others, and creating positive change
Overall Feel	Colorful, thoughtful, hopeful, and uplifting
Rating	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Quick Take: Miya's Mooncakes is a colorful, thoughtful picture book celebrating cultural traditions, empathy, and community. Miya's small act of kindness offers young readers a hopeful reminder that everyone can help make a difference.

Things to Know: The story briefly addresses unkind, discriminatory words written on a family's home, but handles the incident gently and focuses on empathy, inclusion, and the community's positive response.

Now let's get into what made this book shine.

My Thoughts

I read Miya's Mooncakes with my seven-year-old grandson, and we both found plenty to enjoy and discuss. The story introduced us to the traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival, while the colorful illustrations prompted conversations about the different foods, neighborhood shops, and customs shown throughout the book. My grandson was fascinated by these details-and especially enjoyed spotting the cat as it appeared throughout the story.

At the heart of the book is Miya's empathy for the people around her. When a child at school is saddened after someone defaces her family's home with mean words, Miya recognizes that her neighborhood needs kindness and encouragement. She begins delivering mooncakes to local shops, including an inspirational note with each one to remind her neighbors that they are all in this together.

Miya's thoughtful gesture shows how one person, no matter how young or small, can make a meaningful difference. As the neighborhood comes together, its residents celebrate both their similarities and the differences that make their community special.

I loved the book's gentle lessons about empathy, tolerance, inclusion, and the power of small acts of kindness. There is plenty here for readers of every age to learn-and a great deal for families and classrooms to talk about together.

Final Thoughts

Miya's Mooncakes is a beautiful reminder that kindness does not have to be grand to create meaningful change. Through Miya's thoughtful actions, young readers see how empathy, inclusion, and respect for different cultures can strengthen an entire community.

The colorful illustrations gave my grandson and me plenty to explore, while the story sparked meaningful conversations that extended well beyond the page. I recommend this thoughtful picture book for families, classrooms, and anyone looking to introduce children to the Mid-Autumn Festival while encouraging compassion and community spirit.

If you have an interest in children's books, you can find more of my children's reviews here.

Author Interview with Crystal Z. Lee

Tell us about the journey the protagonist Miya takes in Miya's Mooncakes.

It's almost time for Miya's favorite holiday, the Mid-Autumn Festival. Miya notices that many in her town seem to have lost the holiday spirit after an incident. Inspired by a Mid-Autumn Festival legend, Miya comes up with a plan to make the holiday more meaningful this year. Throughout this journey, not only does Miya grow in empathy, but so do many in her community!

I love the illustration of Miya baking in Miya's Mooncakes. Have you personally made mooncakes before?

Yes, my children and I have made mooncakes together, and we had a blast. I also have a book titled Pei's Pineapple Cakes, and we've baked pineapple cakes as well!

All of your children's books have names in the titles, such as Miya, Pei, Mei, Rin, and Kai. How do you choose the character names in your books?

I try to be culturally authentic when choosing names for the characters. For example, in the story of Mei's Mermaid Mission, there are characters from Cambodia, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and other places, so their names are authentic to their cultural heritage. I remember receiving some criticism that some of these names were hard to pronounce. While that may be the case for some, I still think it's a teachable moment. When we emphasize learning names authentic to a certain culture, we are imparting virtues of empathy and respect. In this way, we also help our children cultivate an international worldview.

What is your favorite genre to read?

Historical fiction is my favorite genre. I consider myself kind of traditional, somebody with an old soul. It fascinates me to learn about how people in the past loved and lived.

I see some elements of Taiwan sprinkled throughout Miya's Mooncakes. Do you think you'll continue writing stories centered on Taiwan?

While this story does not specifically take place in Taiwan, it's clear that they are a Taiwanese family if you observe the illustrations closely. I also wrote two other picture books about Taiwan: Pei's Pineapple Cakes and Kai the Dancing Butterfly. I'd love to keep writing stories about the Taiwanese American experience. I remember the lack of books on this topic when I was growing up. I'm glad that now, in my children's generation, there are more books in which they can see themselves.

What was the writing process for Miya's Mooncakes like?

I wrote most of this story during an extended trip to Singapore and Taiwan. I had the chance to visit many relatives and taste an abundance of mooncakes. There are a number of Peranakan design elements in the book's illustrations. Those were directly influenced by my travels to Singapore. I bring my laptop wherever I go so I can write whenever I feel inspired. After the manuscript was completed, Allie Su, who was also in Taiwan at the time, really brought the story to life with her illustrations.

What future projects are you working on?

I'm currently working on another children's story and a novel. Personally, as a writer, I try to exercise my reading and writing muscles almost every day.

Mooncakes are an Asian dessert. What other Asian desserts or snacks do you recommend?

I absolutely adore muah ji, or Taiwanese mochi, especially the peanut-flavored ones. I also love aiyu jelly, pineapple cakes, durian ice cream, kaya toast, and anything with matcha!

Before we wrap up, here's a little more about the author of this delightful book.