Great Race: The Story Of The Chinese Zodiac

Ever wonder why there is no cat in the Chinese Zodiac or why Cat and Rat are enemies? In Dawn Casey's accessible adaptation of how the Chinese New Year zodiac order was determined, these questions are answered. When the Jade Emperor decided that people needed a way to determine one year from the other, he orders a race of all the animals. From the grand dragon to the tiny rat, each animal must use his own talents to help him win the race. Each of the animals characteristics are creatively wove into the story. At the end there is a breakdown of years and what these characteristics are, as well as facts and important days to the Chinese calendar. (Also included is a note about those of us with January and February birthdays: due to the fact that the Chinese calendar is based on a lunar cycle, we just might be "bumped" up a year!)