The Year of the Monkey

PreS-Gr 2—With the Year of the Monkey starting on February 8, the 10th installment of "Tales from the Chinese Zodiac" features the adventures of Max, the son of the legendary Monkey King. Max dreams of doing his own daring and heroic deeds (just like his parents) but often acts out these daydreams in the middle of class and other inappropriate times and places. In gym class, Max discovers the sport of jianzi, which involves kicking a shuttlecock over a net. Max's parents aren't sure that being the best jianzi player is a goal worthy of their legacy, but the big upcoming tournament might prove them wrong. Written in English and Chinese (simplified characters), the book features bright, bold illustrations filled with a mix of humans and other creatures from the zodiac living, playing, and studying side by side. Readers will empathize with Max's feelings as he tries to live up the family legacy.