REVIEW: The Year of the Cat: The Untold Story of the Lunar New Year Race by Jeannie Lin (aka Phuong Chi Nguyen)
The Year of the Cat: The Untold Story of the Lunar New Year Race is a 32 page picture book in English and Vietnamese with high-quality color illustrations based on an original story created by bestselling author Jeannie Lin and her twin children, Daniel and Mae Linh.
Summary:
The legend of the Lunar New Year Race tells of how the first twelve animals that finished would be honored in the zodiac. But one very important animal is missing…What happened to the Cat?
Follow the clever Cat on a magical journey through the ancient land of Vietnam to finally win its rightful place among the chosen twelve.
Review
Of course I’ve seen the list of the twelve animals of the Chinese lunar calendar and haven’t we all sat in a Chinese restaurant and looked at the placemat to see which animal we are? But are they the same as in Vietnam? Well, almost but not quite. This is the story of the race set by the Jade Emperor to see which twelve animals could reach his throne first and be part of the lunar zodiac. And no, it’s not quite the same list.
The illustrations are bright, lush and colorful with Vietnamese details. The race is full of honor and shenanigans – watch out for that rat. Plus it’s told in two languages by one of our favorite authors and her two children. So check it out to see which animal is different in the Vietnamese version of the tale. B
~Jayne
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Thank you for this fun review, Jayne.
Wishing a happy lunar new year to all who celebrate. My daughter is enjoying the holiday in South Korea.
@Kareni: You’re welcome and I hope your daughter enjoys the celebrations.