The Great Race

Such a fun story with beautiful and bright illustrations! I never really thought about the origin of the Chinese Zodiac or why certain animals were chosen til now. The story was engaging and whimsical. I appreciated that it felt lighthearted and not at all deceitful between the animals. Often times, there were goups of animals that decided to work together. Overall, it was a nice read with an enjoyable cast of characters (or in this case animals).

The Great Race is a lovely picture book depicting the animal race that determined the Chinese Zodiac. Corr takes this traditional ancient folk tale and brings it to life with vibrant illustrations; each page is a riot of colors with many details to look at. This book would be a great addition to our folklore collection at the library, particularly to be read at the turning of the Chinese New Year!

#TheGreatRace #NetGalley

Do you know how the Chinese zodiac animals - and their order - were chosen? Legends vary, but the common theme is that originally there was no way to mark the passage of time. Then the Jade Emperor invited all the animals to a race: the first 12 across the river would be chosen to mark the cycle of years. The artwork is vibrant and entrancing, with a lot of little details to be discovered - such as the next animal(s) to cross the river, hiding in the background (see arrow on pic 3, discover others for yourself in pic 4.

I was delighted to read the ARC of @christopher_corr's wonderful retelling, which is being released in paperback this October. (Hardcover published in 2018.) A fantastic addition to any collection to introduce young readers to some Chinese culture and mythology, or to support and enhance the legends they may already know. My daughter, who was born in China, would have loved this as a kid.

once in a while, I love reading astrology for entertainment purposes, and it is very inevitable that I come across a classic story that involves the Chinese zodiac. Christopher Corr’s retelling of a well known story was full of life.

I know many of us do not really believe in astrology, but we cannot erase the fact that many of our ancestors, or even religions, still rely on the stars.

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎 5/5

I used the horse coz that’s my Chinese zodiac.

I had so much fun reading this book, the story is so adorable and the illustrations were so well done and charming, there’s so many little details in every page that I couldn’t stop but be mesmerized by it all. I will definitely be recommending it! Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this early copy