A Celebration: The Year of the Boar starts Feb. 18th.
The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac
Written by Dawn Casey; illustrated by Anne Wilson
I knew the Chinese had a thing about cats. Hey, cat lovers, don't blame me, okay? I'm just telling you how it is. The Chinese and cats? No way!
So I knew Cat was in trouble from the moment this story opened. The Jade Emperor, who rules the sky, sets all the animals against each other in a great race. Finish first, and he'll name the first year of his new calendar after you.
I won't tell you what wiles Cat and his best buddy Rat use to sneak ahead of the others. Let's just say there's a reason they're no longer on speaking terms.
The story is surprisingly suspenseful (though not scary) and Casey has fun with animals' personalities. Don't miss the end notes; lots of great stuff on other Chinese holidays and a full spread about all the animals, their traits and which years they fall on.
I'm noticing some similarities between the illustrations in Barefoot Books; most use the same warm, enticing colors and childlike renderings, even across different media. Wilson uses paper collage with acrylic and printed backgrounds, but I found myself wishing for more of an overtly Eastern feel to it.
Rating: *\*\*\
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