Cemetery Game by Alan Woo and illustrator Rachel Wada is due September 2026 and was read via an online reader.
And now comes the more fun part of the review, but also a bit tricky to write. I was not a huge fan of things. I liked the idea of culture, family and traditions, but it felt flat. I liked the presentation, but the illustrations felt off, like maybe a bit computerized or not fully human formed. Yet, this is a nice book. It introduces things about how one family continues family traditions by taking care of their deceased loved one. This particular event reminds me of other cultures similar events so that will be a good jumping off point for talking about your own culture, other cultures one is not familiar with and how we are more similar than different.
And since I cannot really capture in my own words what the author, illustrator and even publisher want to convey, I’m adding part of the publisher’s description: A poetic and playful picture book about a family celebrating the Chinese spring festival Ching Ming. Woo’s spare text perfectly captures the way a young child recognizes the reverence being called for in honoring ancestors while also indulging his natural inclination to find fun in it. …. illustrator Rachel Wada uses sweeping images of incense smoke and shadows to evoke the emotional resonance of the cemetery setting.
And though it does not sound like it, I recommend it. I think maybe I was not in the right place mentally and physically to fully enjoy things. I feel this is a personal read and we all need to experience it our own ways.
