22nd January Chinese New The Chinese Zodiac (Part 1)

Chinese New Year 2023 falls on Sunday, January 22nd, and celebrations culminate with the 

Lantern Festival on February 5th, 2023. January 22nd, is the first day of the Lunar New Year, 

beginning fifteen days of celebrations in many South-East Asian and East Asian countries and 

communities around the world. There are different traditions associated with the festival, 

including different zodiacs for the Chinese and Vietnamese calendars. For most people, it's a 

time to spend with their families and eat delicious food.  

As the Year of the Tiger comes to an end on Jan. 21 and the Year of the Rabbit begins, we say goodbye to the roaring tiger and hello to the milder rabbit. The rabbit is historically known as the gentlest and most tender of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, the traditional classification scheme based on the lunar calendar that assigns an animal and its attributes to each year.

The Chinese year of the Rabbit is the fourth year of the 12-year cycle of Chinese Zodiac animals. These twelve animal cycle exists because there is an old Chinese story  that the says the Jade emperor ordered a race to select the 12 animals to be his personal guards. The animals arrived in the order of the cycle. There are many picture books that describe this race. Here are some good ones to look for in the library:

•  The Race for the Chinese Zodiac by Gabrielle Wang & Sally Rippin

This retelling of a classic Chinese legend by the current Australian Children's Laureate tells how the Jade Emperor has declared a great race: the first animals to cross the river will win a place in the Chinese Zodiac. Thirteen animals line up along the shore. But there are only twelve places to be won. Who will miss out?

• The Great Race: Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Christopher Corr

Celebrate Chinese New Year and learn how every animal earned its place in the Chinese zodiac by taking part in the Great Race! Discover who will come first to win the ultimate prize, and find out why Cat will never forgive his friend Rat in this ancient folk tale that has been passed from generation to generation. 

• The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Dawn Casey & Anne Wilson

Which animal will win the race and get the first year of the Chinese calendar named after them? Race along with Rat, Monkey, Dragon, and their companions while discovering the origin of the Chinese Zodiac. This bright and colourful book includes intriguing notes about the Chinese calendar, the festivals, and the animal that rules each year. 

• What the Rat Told Me: A Legend of the Chinese Zodiac by Marie Sellier & Catherine Louis

A wonderful introduction for young readers to the Chinese zodiac adapted from a Chinese Buddhist legend dating from the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). One day, the Great Emperor of Heaven invited all the animals to visit him on the Jade Mountain. Twelve animals came, and they became the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac. What really happened on that day so long ago? The rat, who was there, knows the true story. 

• Cat and Rat: the Legend of the Chinese Zodiac by Ed Young

According to Chinese legend, the twelve animals of the zodiac were selected by the Jade Emperor after he invited all the animals to participate in a race. This is the story of that race, and why cat and rat will always be enemies. 

• The Great Race by Emily Hiles

As the new year approaches, each animal wants it to be named after them, but no one can agree. The Jade Emperor decides there should be a race to decide the winner, but who will win? 

• The Legend of the Chinese New Year by Susan Whitfield & Philippa-Alys Browne 

This is one of several legends used by the Chinese to explain the origins of their 12-year calendar. The author includes a list of dates, so that the reader can see which animal governs the year of his or her birth.  

• No Year of the Cat by Mary Dodson Wade & Nicole Wong

The Emperor has a problem. He wants his people to remember the year in 

which his son was born. But there is no way to keep track of the years. 

So the Emperor devises a race in which animals will cross a river. The first twelve 

animals to reach the opposite side will have a year named after them. Thus, the people will be able to remember the years and the events that occurred. And so the race is set. Rat, knowing he is no match for the rushing water, schemes with Cat on how to cross the river. Together the two convince Ox to carry them across. But halfway across the river, Rat shows his true colours. Will Cat make it to the other side? Which animals will have a year named after them? 

• Ruby's Chinese New Year by Vickie Lee & Joey Chou

Ruby has a special card to give to her grandmother for Chinese New Year. But who will help her get to grandmother's house to deliver it? Will it be clever Rat, strong Ox, or cautious Rabbit? Ruby meets each of the twelve zodiac animals on her journey. This picture book includes backmatter with a focus on the animals of the Chinese zodiac. 

See how many you have to choose from! Of course there are are picture books for each of the animals and I will write about them tomorrow.