Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac

Young, Ed. Cat and Rat. (1998) NewYork: Henry Holt and Company.

The book retells the legend of how the animals were chosen for the Chinese Zodiac. Long ago, the Jade Emperor of Heaven decides to have a race of all the animals and name each year of the 12-year lunar calendar after the first 12 animals to cross the river. Cat and Rat are best friends, and they devise a plan to ride on the back of the water buffalo across the river. While they are crossing the river, Rat realizes that he doesn’t want to share the glory of coming in first with Cat and the water buffalo, so he pushes Cat into the river. When he and the water buffalo near the shore, Rat leaps off his back and arrives first. Cat continues to swim across the river alone, but show more when she reaches the shore she learns that 12 animals have crossed the river before her, and she will not be part of the calendar. She is so angry, she tries to attack Rat, but he escapes. This is why Cat and Rat are enemies even now.

This is a simple, easy to follow story that younger students will understand easily. The illustrations are dark and show only parts of the scenes form the text so they enhance the mood and the text without overpowering the story. This story follows the legend of how the animals were chosen for the Chinese Zodiac closely, but what’s unique about it is that it focuses on the poor cat’s efforts to get across the river and also explains why cats and rats are enemies. show less

A beautifully illustrated version of the story of how the animals signifying the different signs of the Chinese zodiac came to be chosen. The illustrations combine the animals and their faces simultaneously in amazing ways. The story is well told. The only drawback, which is one my children commented upon, is the darkness of the illustrations. They are intended to mimic the style of classic Chinese drawings, but those are not all dark and unfortunately these are.

This book is the tale of the Chinese Zodiac and how the animals were chosen. It is a wonderful tale about two friends that became enemies because of competition.

The art's rich and dark, the story simple. This would work at storytimes for younger children as well as older ones learning about chinese astrology.

In this book Ed Young explores the tale of the Chinese zodiac, and ow it came to be. It also explains why cat chase mice and how other animals interact with each other today, because of their past history together.

Theme: Don't make a deal with someone you can't trust
Explains how the Chinese Zodiac was decided (animal race to finish line)

(Fable)

Introduces the Chinese zodiac and relates how each of its twelve signs was named for an animal selected by the Jade Emperor.