Year of the Cat

Ages 4 to 8, Grades P to 3

A legendary race determined the order of the animals in the Chinese zodiac calendar . . . but what happened to Cat, the one animal who never received a year? Rat, Cat, and their eleven friends star in this innovative, funny animal adventure that introduces young readers to both the Chinese zodiac and the concept of apologizing. Themes of friendship, making amends, and realizing the consequences of our actions will draw in fans of This Is Not My Hat and We Don’t Eat Our Classmates. 

Rat won the Great Race, which determined the order of the Chinese zodiac calendar. But he did it using trickery that left poor Cat behind. Now, Rat wants to make amends . . . or so he says. Rat, Pig, Dog, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Horse, Snake, Dragon, Tiger, Rabbit, and Ox all set off to apologize to Cat. Yet somehow, by the end of the journey, Rat is the only one left. And Cat has a surprise for him.Richard Ho’s sly and perfectly paced text unfolds an exciting animal adventure, full of nods to the traditional Great Race tale. And watch out for an unexpected, delicious twist when Cat doesn’t find Rat’s apology quite sincere! Jocelyn Li Langrand’s joyful and expressive illustrations bring the journey to vibrant life, full of details that reward a closer look. Together, text and art are an homage to the traditional Great Race tale and a funny, subversive update for today’s young readers.Every year is the year of the Cat!

About the Author

Richard Ho is a former journalist who has spent the past ten years as a scriptwriter and editor at BrainPOP, an educational website that offers Common Core–aligned animated video content for a K-12 audience. He is the author of Red Rover: Curiosity on Mars, illustrated by Katherine Roy, and The Lost Package, illustrated by Jessica Lanan, which was a Junior Library Guild Selection. He lives with his family in New Jersey.Jocelyn Li Langrand began her career as a visual designer after graduating from Cornish College of the Arts with a BFA in visual communication design. She is the winner of the 2020 San Francisco Beautiful MuniArt Award, and her works were displayed in 100 local buses serving as galleries in motion for commuters. Originally from China, she now lives in San Francisco, and finds that her heritage and travel influence everything she creates. Her debut author-illustrator picture book, If You Miss Me, was published by Orchard/Scholastic in Fall 2021.