Twelve in a Race

by Catherine Little (Author), 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!

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Plumleaf Press Inc. (March 30 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 36 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1486936687
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1486936687
• Item weight ‏ : ‎ 340 g
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 22.86 x 0.89 x 22.86 cm

"This book is great for reading out loud; even readers familiar with the story will get caught up in the excitement of the race. It’s also useful for those who want to teach children about Chinese culture, as each animal’s name in Hanzi is included as is a brief explanation of the zodiac’s cultural significance. An illustrated wheel with years corresponding to each animal will help readers find their own place within the zodiac".

— Jaclyn Qua-Hiansen, Quill & Quire