The Year of the Horse - (Tales from the Chinese Zodiac) by Oliver Chin (Hardcover)

About the Book

Hannah is a spirited horse who has a lot riding on her! This feisty filly's amazing journey celebrates the new year and kids' can-do attitudes.

2026 is The Year of the Horse! Hannah is a foal who has a talented family and yearns to have special skills too. She befriends the boy Tom. Together can they bring his art teacher's important painting to the capital faraway? Hannah jumps at the chance to show that a little horse can have a lot of courage.

When others think she's too young, can Hannah prove her unbridled spirit can blaze its own trail? Illustrating expressive characters and vibrant action, artist Jennifer Wood creates an inviting new world for readers to explore. Tales from the Chinese Zodiac is a popular annual children's book series showcasing the twelve charming animals that embody the Chinese New Year.

Book Synopsis

Hannah is a spirited horse who has a lot riding on her! This feisty filly's amazing journey celebrates the new year and kids' can-do attitudes.

This revised edition features a new bilingual translation in simplified Chinese.

2026 is The Year of the Horse! Hannah is a foal who has a talented family and yearns to have special skills too. She befriends the boy Tom. Together can they bring his art teacher's important painting to the capital faraway? Hannah jumps at the chance to show that a little horse can have a lot of courage.

When others think she's too young, can Hannah prove her unbridled spirit can blaze its own trail? Illustrating expressive characters and vibrant action, artist Jennifer Wood creates an inviting new world for readers to explore. Tales from the Chinese Zodiac is a popular annual children's book series showcasing the twelve charming animals that embody the Chinese New Year.

Hannah's rousing quest to discover her true nature will delight children and adults alike. Kids love identifying with how each animal embarks on a unique quest to discover his or her own character: Bright and dynamic illustrations will appeal to parents, those interested in Asian culture, and, of course, horse lovers.

Teachers appreciate how Tales from the Chinese Zodiac is the only English series on each of the animals of the Chinese lunar calendar. Librarians like how it one of the longest-running children's book series featuring Asian American themes. Now readers everywhere can enjoy these entertaining and original tales.

Review Quotes

"...each lunar year gets an energetic, giggle-inducing welcome with [the] Tales from the Chinese Zodiac... As she did in The Year of the Dragon and The Year of the Snake, illustrator Jennifer Wood continues to provide the same delightfully equitable page time for all the zodiac animals, adding another engaging level of 'hide-and-seek' for younger readers. Author Chin again introduces rollicking exploits to inspire and entertain, all the while celebrating the Asian culture that infuses our daily American lives." - BookDragon, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center blog

"The bright illustrations reflect the illustrator Jennifer Wood's animation background and highlight the Chinese landscape, wildlife and architecture." - Sampan

"My kids both really liked the cartoon-like illustrations and it really helps that the plotting is quick and Wood's illustrations are great at conveying movement. It's so fantastic to find books related to the New Year as we celebrate it here in Japan, so I definitely recommend this to English speakers in Japan as well as other people with kids!" - Perogies & Gyoza

"The Year of the Horse: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac is about friendship, trust and working together...A fun-loving book with an excellent message of friendship and love... The Year of the Horse is not only well written, its eye-popping illustrations that will engage and entertain your eager beginning reader." - The Squishable Baby

"[An] imaginative menagerie of endearing characters, whose stories embody the chief characteristics of each animal of the Chinese Zodiac in turn. These are also tales of friendship and finding a place in the world." - Paper Tigers

"The Year of the Horse tells a charming story and introduces kids to Chinese culture and art. It also offers message about friendship, bravery, and accomplishment. The illustrations, again by illustrator and cartoon character designer Jennifer Wood (who's done work for Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network), are delightful and infuse The Year of the Horse with a lot of appeal and charm. Both my children love the book and keep reading it over and over again." - Marin Mommies

"The illustrations are adorable and bright, and hidden throughout the book are the other 11 zodiac signs. This encourages children to learn the other signs and invites them to look out for them as they read...my daughter loves it. She is already asking to read more books in this
series." - The Asian Reporter

"No wonder the Year of the Horse celebrates their derring-do. I loved the positive 'can-do' message the book conveyed, and though our kids are
not going to be sent on such a mission, they'll enjoy the vicarious experience and understand the pride that Lao Shi and Hannah's parents feel about the pair's major accomplishment." - Good Reads with Ronna

About the Author

Oliver Chin has written The Tales from the Chinese Zodiac series and more than a dozen children's books. He presents at schools, libraries, museums, and cultural organizations nationwide, and teaches students how to draw and make their own comic books. He lives in San Francisco, California.

Jennifer Wood previously illustrated The Year of the Dragon. She is an animation designer at Nickelodeon. She has contributed to the shows T.U.F.F Puppy, The Fairly OddParents, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Catscratch, Strawberry Shortcake, and Tak and the Power of Juju. She lives in Los Angeles, CA. See more at artofjwood.com.