School Library Journal Starred Review (Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2021)

K-Gr 2 Keiko is excited to attend her fifth Japanese Tanabata Matsuri, the Star Festival, with her Oba and Mama. They prepare by tying tanzaku to their bamboo tree, hoping the paper wishes come true, and dressing up in their summer kimonos. Oba shares the story of Tanabata, which Hadley and Fujisawa have interspersed with the family's festival preparations. When Oba is separated from Keiko and her mama at the festival, their search for her coincides with the festival reenactment of Orihime and Hikoboshi's search for each other. Keiko's clever use of the story's elements to find her Oba will have readers imagining along with her. Hadley has created a remarkable debut that flows elegantly, interweaving the two tales in a way that is readable and fun. Fujisawa complements the text with her vibrant digital artwork. The lighter colors used for Keiko and her family in the beginning complement the darker, bolder colors used to tell the story of the stars and the evening festival. The use of shadows and softer lines in the Tanabata retelling contrasting with crisper lines for Keiko and her family enhance the folkloric quality of the story. Hadley and Fujisawa adeptly incorporate food, decorations, and festival elements without getting bogged down in descriptions or definitions. Back matter includes the history of Tanabata Matsuri, information about festival food and decorations, and a tanzaku tutorial. VERDICT An exquisite choice for all collections. Kristyn Dorfman, The Nightingale-Bamford Sch., New York City

ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

In this sweet holiday story, five-year-old Keiko celebrates the Japanese Tanabata Festival, or Star Festival, with her mama and oba (grandmother). The story shows Keiko going through each festival preparation and tradition, including dressing in her summer kimono and hearing the story of the holiday's origins, in which a flock of magpies helped the mythical separated lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi cross the Milky Way to reunite at their annual meeting. At the crowded celebration, though, Keiko and Mama are separated from Oba. In their own way, they must follow the path of the holiday's heroes and cross the festival's central performance to find her. The text sometimes feels like it is checking boxes as it details aspects of the Star Festival, but Fujisawa's enchanting, richly colored illustrations successfully bring everything to life. Several pages of back matter add more information about the holiday and its foods and traditions. A bright, warm take on the Star Festival that welcomes readers of all backgrounds into this Japanese holiday celebration.

Kirkus Reviews

A spunky introduction to the origin and customs of Japan's Star Festival.Keiko, a young Japanese girl, is so excited to experience her fifth Tanabata Matsuri, which will also be her grandmother's 85th. Her mother tries to help Keiko behave, but Oba understands Keiko's bright enthusiasm. Together they all dress up in summer kimonos, put on their geta (one of the sandals falls off of Keiko's foot), and make their way to the festival. Oba recounts the folktale behind the festival, in which two stars fell in love and neglected their duties, causing the Emperor of the Heavens to prevent them from seeing each other. At the festival, Keiko marvels at the taiko drums, streamers, and slippery noodles. Suddenly, Mama notices that Oba is missing! The merry chaos of the festival impedes Mama and Keiko as they frantically search. When at last they reunite, they share the wishes they have made and return home after an eventful day. Themes from the folk story are woven into this family tale, the expressive text seamlessly incorporating Japanese words into the narrative and dialogue. Backmatter includes the story of Tanabata Matsuri as well as information about food, decorations, and instructions on creating a tanzaku for wish making. The warm, rich palette alternates between deep hues of blue and red and more muted pastels, with a particularly eye-catching spread of fireworks.A satisfying family story that weaves together cultural practices and intergenerational connections. (Picture book. 4-7)