• click here to return to the homepage •
or 
Home > Categories > Books > Cultural > The Race for the Chinese Zodiac review
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?
All Through the Night
The 39 Clues - The Black Book of Buried Secrets
The Curse of the Bogle's Beard
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Tales of the Blue Jade 2 -The Mapmakers Apprentice
Ceremony in Death
Scrap #3 Dog on Trial
Ten Monsters in the Bed
Bye-Bye Grumpy Fly
Scream #4: The Squid Slayer
Colouring Crush
The Yeti Files: Monsters on the Run
The Scariest Thing In The GardenProduct reviews...
Review by: tucker (Karl)
Dated: 18th of April, 2010
Having always wondered about the Chinese Zodiac and it's 60-year cycle, this book was a wonderful introduction into the mythos behind the 12 animals that make up the 'houses'.
The artwork is beautiful, and looks very traditional to my Western eyes, and even though it's not my ideal form of art, the precision and skill with which it is executed is still very apparent and worthy of appreciation.
The story itself is reasonably short - short enough to make for bedtime reading to little ones - but still covers the journey of all 13 animals, and gives insight into the personalities of the animals themselves, and thus the people they purportedly represent.
Overall, a stunning book and sturdy in it's hardcover format, it was a delight to read to my youngest son, and the eldest son also enjoyed it as self-guided reading too. Perhaps a little on the steep side price-wise, I still think it's a great book to have around if you have any interest in the Chinese astronomical studies... or just want something really different in the way of bedtime reading for the kids.
Random listing from 'Books'...
It began as a sudden strange fancy . . . Polly Perks had to become a boy in a hurry. Cutting off her hair and wearing trousers was easy. Learning to fart and belch in public and walk like an ape took more time.
And now she's enlisted in the army, and searching for her lost brother. But there's a war on. There's always a war on and Polly and her fellow recruits are suddenly in the thick of it, without any training, and the enemy is ... more...
All trademarks, images and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective companies.
KIWIreviews is an independent entity, part of the Knock Out News Group. This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of kiwireviews.nz and are protected under New Zealand law by the "Honest Opinion" clause of the Defamation Act of 1992. KIWIreviews accepts no liability for statements made on this site, on the premise that they have been submitted as the true and honest opinions of the individual posters. In most cases, prices and dates stated are approximate and should be considered as only guidelines.
"Why does your Obstetrician or Gynaecologist leave the room when you get undressed if they are going to look up there anyway?"
unattributed
