As a child I was always fascinated by the Chinese Zodiac and I would have loved having a resource like this available. The story is interesting and well paced for the age range and the illustrations are vivid and engaging.

Just in time for the Chinese New Year, this is a cute story about how the twelve animals were chosen. It's not highly intellectual, and I'm not even sure if it's how the actual mythology goes. (It seems very simplistic and a bit contrived.) What is it? A cute story that's appropriate for elementary aged children, well illustrated, attempts to explain the Chinese zodiac, and has a funny ending to explain animal phenomena today.

Un tempo lontano, i giorni e i mesi e gli anni scorrevano in Cina senza essere contati.

Finché l’Imperatore decise di segnare il tempo, e indisse una grande corsa per decidere quali dei nobili animali che popolavano il suo Paese avrebbero avuto un anno intitolato.

Il gatto voleva partecipare, ma…

Gli anni ebbero un nome, e tra il gatto e il topo iniziò un’inimicizia che dura fino a oggi.

Una leggenda antica resa con illustrazioni coloratissime e brio nella narrazione, ideale per celebrare il nuovo anno cinese e introdurre i bambini a una tradizione così differente dalla nostra..

The Great Race tells the story of how the years in the Chinese calendar got their names. This fun animal story is appealingly illustrated and told with a gentle sense of humor. Ideal for young children as a read aloud.

Why are the zodiac years named after animals. This book tells the story of the great race and why which animals come in which order. It also sneaks in why cats chase rats.

This is a highly recommendable retelling of the story of the Chinese Zodiac and how the order of the animals came about, new for 2018. The story is easy to understand for KS1 and reception with striking illustrations, containing wonderfully colourful spreads painted in an oriental folk style. This text holds a high level of appeal for young children and is perfect for learning about Chinese New Year.

Learn about the Chinese zodiac and celebrate the Chinese New Year with this folktale that explains how each animal earned its place in the Chinese zodiac.

I enjoyed this title that reads like a fable explanation of the Chinese zodiac calendar. It was entertaining to read how the animals competed to secure their places, claim their years and benefit the Emperor by finally providing a way to mark the passage of time. Illustrations are done in bright colors and convey the story well.

This was a really interesting book. I like the art and the creative storytelling - it is nice to read other stories related to how different cultures and the beginning of the world.

The Great Race is a cute little story bringing to life the folktale about the creation of the Chinese Zodiac.

For the longest time there was no way to keep track of the passing time. One day, the Emperor decided to hold a great race. He invited all the animals to join in. The first twelve to cross the river would be given the honour of having a year named after them.

I love myths, legends, and folktales. It's neat to see how useful information is encoded into stories. This story, simply told aloud, teaches kids (and adults) the sequence of the Chinese Zodiac, and provides a duel explanation of why the Zodiac consists of these animals, and also why cats and rats don't get along.

The artwork was… interesting. It's a bit too abstract for me. I prefer things to look a little more realistic. I read this with my cubs though, and the younger ones really liked the pictures. I'm guessing that art is geared towards the younger readers.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is an excerpt of a review that was originally published on my website: <a href="https://www.missjennysclassroom.com/2018/03/zodiac-great-race-book-review.html">Miss Jenny's Classroom</a>

Ever wondered why cats chase rats? This is a traditional retelling of the story of how the 12 zodiacs were chosen to represent the 12 year cycle. The story follows the chronological journey of each of the animals that are vying for the honour of being named a zodiac and explains their characteristics such as being kind, clever, etc,

In some ways I see this as a cautionary tale as much as a traditional story. The cat was relying on the rat to help him achieve his goal – rather than putting in the effort to get up himself to make the trip – there’s almost a feel of the Tortoise and the Hare to it which in my opinion would make a good companion story to this one if used at the beginning of a school year.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the publisher.

A beautifully illustrated book that looks at the stories behind the Chinese Zodiac, this book give a child levelled insight into the creative stories that are the background for the zodiac. Of interest to all ages.