The Great Race

The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac
Written by Dawn Casey
Illustrated by Anne Wilson

Barefoot Books 2006

As we are getting close to Chinese New Year, I start looking for books that will help share about the culture of Chinese New Year beyond dragons and lanterns. This book is a great fable about how the animals in the Chinese Zodiac were placed in the order that they are. In my search for good books, I love the ones that have information at the end for parents and teachers to create activities or learn more. This book shares a little about the Chinese culture and about the zodiac.
Activities:
Preschool--Create a flannel board with each animal and bring them out as they "run" the race
School Age--Have them create (color and cut) each animal an make an ordering game.
--Create a survey of who is each animal and see if the personality of the person matches the animal they represent.