Twelve in a Race

by Catherine Little, Sae Kimura (Artist)

Twelve in a Race takes readers through the origin story of the Chinese zodiac, including the beginning, middle, and ending of the Emperor’s great race. Young readers will enjoy the rhyming pattern and driving question of “Who will win?” Catherine Little, author of Twelve in a Race, was inspired to write this story for her son so that he could learn more about his Chinese heritage. Twelve in a Race’s illustrations, done by Sae Kimura, an artist originally from Odawara, Japan, richly portray this version of the Chinese zodiac legend and imaginatively showcase each animal’s individual character traits throughout the Emperor’s race. Readers will enjoy finding out which animal placed first, which placed last, and which animal correlates to their birth year. Be sure to make room on your bookshelf for this keepsake to read every Lunar New Year and many times in between!

36 pages, Hardcover

Published March 30, 2022

Reviews

[Alexandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations and does a good job of explaining the basic story of the Chinese Zodiac. There is a subtle nod at the end to other countries celebration of the new year but that is not the focus nor is it intended to be. A good first introduction.

[Vi Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet and cute, gorgeous art.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great way to learn about all the animals represented on the Chinese lunar calendar.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent way to teach kids about the zodiac