January 14, 2018

THE GREAT RACE

The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Christopher Corr celebrates the Lunar New Year in a bold, eye-catching, and engaging way.


In The Great Race readers learn about the Chinese Zodiac and how every animal earned its place in the calendar. Long ago, there was nothing but the sun to tell time until the Jade Emperor decided to find a way of measuring it. He gathered all the animals in the kingdom and declared that the first twelve to win his Great Race would have a year named after them. Corr delves into the different personalities of the animals and provides fascinating backstories for each of their motivations to be in the Zodiac.


The book itself is exquisitely designed. The cover is jacketless with both embossed and debossed elements, and the decorative embellishments of the cover add to the notion that this book is an ornamental folktale at its core. The illustrations were rendered in gouache, making them appear textured and layered but still remaining smooth and vibrant. And, of course, the colors lend themselves well to matching the folktale influences of the story. 


The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac published earlier this month from Frances Lincoln Children's Books. 


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