"Story of the Chinese Zodiac" is retold by Monica Chang with an English translation by Rick Charette. The story is presented in a bilingual English/Chinese format, and features illustrations by Arthur Lee.

The book tells the story of a great race which determines which animals get to be part of the Chinese zodiac. A central character in the tale is the Rat, who hatches a cunning plot.

The illustrations really make this book special. The pictures appear to be photographs of intricate, beautifully colored paper sculptures. There are some really memorable scenes: the cat and rat lounging together; the majestic Heavenly God consulting with the Earth God; the arrival of the majestic, multicolored dragon; and more. Some scenes are rendered very cleverly; I especially loved an aerial view of the animals running through the trees. Overall, a great book for children (and adults!) who have an interest in myth and folklore, or who just love innovative artwork.

5 year olds seemed to enjoy it a lot. I can see that kids would love to spend lots of time looking at the pictures themselves because they are so detailed and well-done.