Page 12 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
Lunar New Year
January 16, 2017
Welcome The Year of the Rooster!
The Year of the Rooster:
Tales from the Chinese Zodiac
By Oliver Chin
Illustrations by Juan Calle
Immedium, 2017
Hardcover, 36 pages, $15.95
By Julie Stegeman
The Asian Reporter
ondering how to involve your
children in the spirit of the
Lunar New Year? Try spending
some family time cuddled on a cozy couch
with a copy of The Year of the Rooster:
Tales from the Chinese Zodiac.
The twelfth and final story in a series of
children’s picture books about the
charismatic animals of the lunar zodiac,
Oliver Chin’s story introduces readers to
Ray, a loveable chick who embodies the
characteristics of those born in the Year of
the Rooster: confidence, practicality, and
diligence.
The story opens with Ray hatching from
his shell. As the bold and inquisitive little
bird grows up, he hears from the pig that
she has caught a glimpse of a phoenix,
though the other animals don’t believe her
until she shows proof — a red feather. Ray
decides to undertake a quest to find the
mythical creature, much to his parent’s
consternation. He doesn’t have to journey
alone, however, as he is accompanied by
his friend and neighbor Ying, a human
girl.
One by one, as they follow clues that lead
to the incredible bird, the pair encounters
the other eleven zodiac creatures, who
lend their assistance in their adventure. I
read the book to my six-year-old daughter,
W
and she had fun spotting each of the
animals and comparing them to the first
page of the book, which shows all of them
in a circle around an explanation of the
lunar calendar.
The book was enjoyable to read and fun
to talk about. Not only do we find out more
about the animals of the lunar zodiac, but
we learn, along with Ray and Ying, the
value of persistence, hard work, and
following your dreams — a plus for
parents!
After the story wraps up, the book
concludes with a more detailed description
of those born during the Year of the
Rooster. If you or a family member is a
Rooster (born in the years 1909, 1921,
1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, and
ROOSTER TALE. Oliver Chin’s The Year of the
Rooster: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac is the twelfth
and final story in a series of children’s picture books
about the charismatic animals of the lunar zodiac.
Chin’s story introduces readers to Ray, a loveable
chick who embodies the characteristics of those
born in the Year of the Rooster. (Image courtesy
of Immedium)
2005, in addition to the current year), you
can check if your personality matches the
characteristics of your sign.
My one beef with the book was that in
the story we are told by the sheep that “the
phoenix embodies five great virtues.” We
learn that one of these is knowledge, but
the other four are not mentioned. (If you
too are curious, the other four are
benevolence, honesty, integrity, and
correct behavior, according to a quick
internet search.)
My daughter had me read the book twice
in a row, which indicates her approval. Her
review is as follows: “I loved it because I
like the phoenix and I like when they go on
an adventure.” She was happy to spot her
zodiac animal: The Tiger.
The book’s engaging story, which is
written in English with a bilingual
translation into simplified Chinese on the
lower half of each page, is accompanied by
colorful and detailed pictures by Juan
Calle. The illustrations add a great deal of
charm to the story.
And if you enjoy reading The Year of the
Rooster: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac,
there are eleven others in the series to
explore. Children will especially love to
read about the animal of their particular
birth year.
Have a happy and healthy Year of the
Rooster!