School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-This charming bilingual board book introduces the Chinese zodiac and language in an accessible way regardless of the language ability of readers. Two pages are devoted to each zodiac animal. On the left-hand page is a picture of the friendly creature. The opposite page has the animal's name in English; underneath is the Chinese character and its pronunciation. Also included is the way the word phonetically sounds in English. For example, Pig is Zhu and is pronounced "Zhoo." Beneath is a picture of the pig is a description of its characteristics: "Happy, gentle, caring, loves being at home with family." This title does an excellent job of introducing the Chinese culture to parents and other adults who may not be fluent in the language. It is written in a way that will instill confidence and set the stage for a positive reading experience. It may also encourage children to want to learn more. Illustrations are cute and friendly and the layout is attractive and easy to follow. VERDICT A first purchase for libraries and preschools, perfect for ushering in a new year.-Robin Sofge, Prince William Public Library System, VA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Lee introduces and identifies the traits of the 12 animals of the zodiac in English and Chinese, while Chou, an animator, depicts each animal in a charming graphic style. The tiger, colorfully rendered in dark salmon tones, is "brave, determined, a creative thinker, loves freedom," while the monkey-pictured floating paper boats from a tree branch sloping over blue water-is "confident, careful, interesting, good with their hands." Readers can personalize the reading experience, too-the zodiac chart on the back cover reveals whether one is "a good listener" like the goat or "caring" like the pig. Ages up to 4. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
An introduction to the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac in an entertaining bilingual format.This delightful board book opens with the rat, the first animal in the repeating zodiac cycle, and ends with the pig. Each oh-so-cute animal is presented in vivid color on the left page and again in a more muted tone along with its English moniker and Standard Chinese character on the right. Pinyin and phonetic pronunciations are also included. In pinyin, "rat" is pronounced "shu" and phonetically as "shoo." In addition, the traits ascribed to a person born in a particular year (much like Western astrology) are also listed. According to the book, someone born in the Year of the Rat is "clever, curious, loves to eat and stay up late," which readers familiar with the zodiacal principles may feel is somewhat true but is also unsurprisingly simplistic. Little ones will love the adorable illustrations, and older ones will enjoy trying to pronounce the Mandarin Chinese words. Developmentally en pointe, the book's familiar animals take on striking geometric shapes that children will recognize. However, if precise pronunciation is the goal, this book is best read aloud by someone who knows basic Mandarin Chinese.A welcome addition to the limited English-Mandarin Chinese bilingual board books available. (Bilingual board book. 1-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
