The Animals of the Chinese Zodiac

by Susan Whitfield

Follow the animals of ancient China on their journey to visit Buddha. Discover why the cat and the rat became mortal enemies and how the years of the Chinese Zodiac got their names. Find out what animal rules the year of your birth.

39 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Susan Whitfield is an English historian and librarian who works at the British Library in London, England. She obtained a PhD in historiography from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and now specialises in the social and intellectual history of the Tang Dynasty, and the history of the Silk Road.

She is currently director of the International Dunhuang Project, and in this capacity is involved in research and cataloguing of Central Asian manuscripts at the British Library. She has a particular interest in identifying forged manuscripts from Dunhuang.

Reviews

[Willy · Rating 5 out of 5]

For upcoming Chinese New Year we got this lovely book . The story was good but the illustrations are lovely. I will look for more from this artist, Phippipa Alys Browne. She’s based in Zimbabwe. Definitely made it a perfect choice for an unexpectedly delightful book.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My four year old found this delightful book at the library. Wonderful folk tale about the animals of the Chinese Zodiac and how Buddha came to name the years after them. The end of the book lists what years go with each animal and traits of people born in those years. My son has had us read the story over and over. And he has had a blast with figuring out which animal each of our family members are. Just enchanting!

[Sara Bland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great book to use during a lesson about Chinese traditions and culture. This is a very fun story of how the Chinese Zodiac years came to be. It takes you through the entire story of how the animals all went together on a journey to the old Chinese man, and how he chose which animals to use to name the years. The pictures are fun, vibrant, and seem to reflect accurately the Chinese artwork. I would recommend this for students in 2nd-3rd grade.

[Katie Logonauts · Rating 3 out of 5]

This rather lengthy retelling of the Chinese zodiac race story placed Buddha in the role of Jade Emperor and spends a great deal of time with the beginning, introducing the animals as the various apsaras visit them. There is a detailed note at the end about the origins of the zodiac, as well as a long paragraph about each animal's qualities and the associated years.

[Sarah Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork. Little too old for my 4.5y/o.

[Beverly J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly good book, not a fan of the illustrations however