The Year of the Horse: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac

K-Gr 2—This tale about a filly named Hannah and her human friend, Tom, touches on horses' skills and responsibilities. Hannah aspires to become useful like the grown-up horses she knows. After the other animals are not able to deliver a painting for Tom's elderly teacher, Hannah and Tom are called into service. They are instructed on proper behaviors for the trip before they set off on their adventure. Their success is rewarded with a copy of the painting—the Chinese symbol for "horse." The cartoon illustrations reflect the illustrator's animation background and highlight some of the Chinese landscape, wild life, and architecture. Other than the title and painting, the connection to the zodiac is sketchy, and the heavy-handed lessons on "skills and responsibilities," along with uninspired word choices, make this a marginal selection.—Carol S. Surges, formerly at Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI