Ming wishes for three things at Christmas. First, to sing in the school Christmas choir. Second, to have a Christmas tree like the one in the department store window. And third, to feel she belongs somewhere. As a daughter of immigrants in 1930s California, Ming is often treated differently than other children at school. She’s pointedly not invited to sing in the Christmas choir. At home, when … choir. At home, when Ming lobbies her parents for a Christmas tree, her mother scolds her for trying to be American. Ming doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere: she’s not quite American enough at school, not quite Chinese enough at home.
Seeing his daughter’s unhappiness, Pop takes her into the mountains to visit a wise old friend. Always happy for an adventure with her kind father, Ming hopes to persuade Pop to bring home a mountain pine to be their Christmas tree. But he has something else in mind, something that will help Ming draw strength from nature, from their Chinese heritage, and from deep and enduring family ties.
Inspired by family stories.
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If you want a simple book with an easy concept to help inspire children during the holidays then this is the book to pick up to add to their Christmas collection. Gong takes us back in time to a setting that people still see today, which makes this book so relevant for its time. The messages in here of belonging and family legacy are real, simply and beautifully put and specific so that any child can understand the message being conveyed and learn something new. It also gives children a glimpse into history and helps them view their own family history and how it has brought them where they are today. Wonderful children’s picture book that I hope many people add to their libraries.
Another great bonus for this book is the beautiful illustrations throughout each page. The bright colors that spring off the page with intricate details that help tell the story in a whole new way. Children will love inspecting each page as they read/listen along.
This is also a great book for slowly introducing the meaning of Christmas to families who aren’t religious. It could be used for adults and children alike to open their eyes to the possibilities behind the true meaning of Christmas, what life is all about and the impact we have in the world. I really loved this book and can’t wait to share it with children in the holiday seasons to come.
* I received a complimentary copy from the publisher/author(s) via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
This is a sweet story about tradition, heritage and learning new ways to live. My younger kids enjoyed reading it. One of my 9-year-olds said “I really liked it. My favorite part was when they went to visit relatives up in the mountains.” I found myself curious about Ming’s mother’s story. I would really like to know what experiences she had to make her act the way she did in the story. I think that this story could start a good discussion about other cultures and beliefs, as well as the way that Chinese immigrants were treated here in the 1930’s.
It’s that time of year. The best time of year to read Christmas picture books to your kids. I love a good Christmas picture book. And this one is so good!
I love that this author showed a different type of Christmas. Ming is a little Chinese girl. All she wants to do is to fit in. To have a Christmas tree. And to have a traditional American Christmas. Unfortunately, her mother wants nothing to do with that.
I love the relationship that Ming appears to have with her father. He takes her to visit some older Chinese men. And they tell Ming about their past and Chinese traditions. I love the way Ming’s father is able to weave these traditions into their family’s celebration as a way for Ming’s wishes to come true. And to keep her mother happy at the same time.
This book will become one of your Christmas favorites! I can’t wait to read it year after year.
I was sent a copy of Ming’s Christmas Wishes as a gift from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Ming’s Christmas Wish is the story of a little girl whose parents are Chinese Immigrants. This story takes place in California in the 1930s. Ming doesn’t fit in at school because of her race (She doesn’t get to be in the school choir) and she doesn’t feel American enough because her mother won’t let her family get a traditional Christmas tree. I read this to my class and I did have to explain why Ming wasn’t allowed into the school choir. It did enable us to have a good conversation about racism and how things have changed through the years.
I really enjoyed the part of the story where Ming’s Pop takes her to a friend’s house to learn more about her Chinese heritage. The illustrations go along so beautifully with this story. It was nice to discuss traditions in various cultures with my 2nd graders as we are doing our Holidays Around the World studying other celebrations and cultures. As an adult, I would have loved an author’s note to know more about the author’s family stories that this children’s book is inspired by. This cute book is a great avenue for family discussions about differences and traditions.
Such a beautiful Christmas story! Ming and her family are Chinese immigrants and Ming does not understand why she cannot sing Christmas carols with the other children at school and why her family does not have a Christmas tree like everyone else.
This would be a good book to read with children to talk about traditions and culture differences. I would have welcomed a little bit more context to Ming’s situation, or perhaps an author’s note, to help children understand the story better. But the illustrations are beautiful as is the author’s message, and my children and I enjoyed reading it together.
I received a complimentary copy of the book but a review was not required and my opinions are my own.
What a sweet book. I really loved the message of this story and the illustrations. Ming’s Pop takes the time to show Ming the places, the people and the purpose of her heritage instead of just telling her. Ming is trying to find herself in a new country and it isn’t easy to fit in and merge/keep traditions. I can only imagine how difficult that would be. Pop is a gentle, kind soul and I really loved him.
I loved learning a little more about the Chinese culture and especially what the pine tree represents. The faces of the characters in the illustrations were my favorite. They really told the whole story with their expressions.
This is a beautiful story to add to my Christmas book collection.
– I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
My children enjoyed this story with a new look at the holidays. Ming has wishes that she really wants to happen for Christmas. One of those is a Christmas tree, but her traditional Chinese mother won’t hear of it. Ming goes along with her father and learns more about her heritage and how it actually does tie into a way for her to get her Christmas wish.
Interesting historical backdrop of old time California near San Francisco. I liked how we get a glimpse of how Ming feels being different from other children, something that she doesn’t realize until she is treated differently. I also enjoyed that this was inspired by family stories of the author, Susan Gong. This book made us smile. The illustrations are wonderful and the message is one we’ll enjoy again and again.
3.5* I enjoy teaching my daughter about diversity. I think it’s important to respect everyone’s culture. I liked that this book not only gave us a peek into the Chinese culture, but also showed us the damage of leaving someone out. I wish the book had addressed this a little more and showed Ming finding her place between the two worlds. However, Ming does learn to love and appreciate her culture more and hopefully understand things a little better. The story was sweet and the illustrations beautiful, but I felt it was a little choppy and again wished for more resolution at the end. It ended too soon for me.