One day, the Great Emperor of Heaven invited all the animals to visit him on the Jade Mountain. Twelve animals came, and they became the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac. This porquoi tale explains why the cat is not part of the zodia and why the cat and rat are no longer friends.
This ancient porquoi tale that adapted from a Chinese Buddhist legend dating from the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) introduces the Chinese zodiac and the animals of the Chinese zodiac to young readers.
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The decision by the illustrator to not include the entire
illustration on some pages and have these illustrations bleed off the
page provides a field of action that seems to include the reader in
sharing that page space. Large, bold linoleum prints with a strong
rhythmic design are featured on the double page spreads of each
stylized depiction of the animals. The elegant calligraphy depicting
each animal coupled with the linoleum prints of each zodiac symbol
lend authenticity to the visual images.
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[...] entry is a discussion of the book, What the Rat Told Me: A Legend of the Chinese Zodiac, written and illustrated collaboratively by Marie Sellier, Catherine Louis, and Wang Fei [...]