Product Description

What are the Chinese Animal Powers? Chungliang Al Huang, celebrated author, artist, teacher, and dancer, reveals the energy and fun of a 2,500-year-old Chinese tradition in this exquisite picture book for all ages. Legend tells us that the Lord Buddha summoned the animals to hear of their power in his sermon under the Banyan Tree. Buddha taught twelve of the animals about their strengths and weaknesses and sent them into the world to guide people in their growth, linking each animal to a month and a year.

Find out which animal powers you were born with and which powers your friends and family possess. Have fun pronouncing Chinese names with sounds that trace back to ancient times. See the animals' movements by tracing elegant brush calligraphy. Discover the fun of an ancient Chinese tradition with this unique picture book by an expert teacher and philosopher.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1284137 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Huang (Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain, for adults) incorporates Chinese beliefs via an energetic and artistic tribute to the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. When Buddha called 12 creatures together under the Banyan Tree, the brief preface explains, he "taught them about their strengths and weaknesses, then sent all twelve animals into the world to guide people in their growth, linking each animal to a month and year." Youngest readers may require some additional enlightenment for a few of the terms that follow (e.g., chi, power of creative expression, and tao, one's path), but all readers will likely appreciate the fact that Huang offers an unadulterated story here. Thick black brush strokes that seem to dance on the page outline one exuberant creature per spread, labeled by its Chinese name (Tswoo, Neeoh, Whoo, etc.), accompanied by its calligraphic symbol. Concise descriptions explain the characteristics of the animal as well as its relevance to the sermon under the Banyan Tree. For instance, the first arrival, Tswoo, "sometimes call[ed] a mouse, a rat, or a guinea pig..." represents the innocence of "The Beginner's Mind" in Buddhism. Joo (a pig), who arrives just in time for the sermon, is "a lesson in what the Chinese call the TAO of Being instead of Doing." Readers of all ages will want to use the closing chart to piece together their own characteristics (based on their year and month of birth), then profile all their friends. All ages. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Grade 4 Up-Using a picture-book format, an accomplished calligrapher depicts each animal of the Chinese zodiac on a double-page spread and outlines the supposed personality traits of people born under that sign. The Chinese characters naming the animals are written in elegant black-and-white brush strokes, as well as the cursive letters of the English alphabet, using the author's own idiosyncratic, phonetic Romanization. Calligraphy, the foundation of Chinese painting, revered above all other Chinese arts for 2000 years, is the star here. In a "Dancing Glossary," the author connects calligraphy with whole-body movement and briefly explains related terms (chi, yin and yang, and tai ji). The text is as entertaining as a newspaper astrology column and just as slight. Ed Young's Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac (Holt, 1995) and Eric Kimmel's The Rooster's Antlers (Holiday, 1999) tell different stories explaining how the animals were chosen and placed in sequence. Since Huang does not tell a story that will hold children's interest, this book is most useful for showing examples of fine modern Chinese calligraphy.
Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
PLB 0-06-027729-7 Huang, well known for his writings on Tai Chi for adults, offers a vibrant book of proverbs for children, brilliantly illustrated with his calligraphic art. According to Buddhist tradition, every month and year are linked to one of the twelve animals who arrivedone by oneto listen to Buddha speak of their powers. Each represents a kind of chi, the primal force. While Huang translates the Chinese words, he calls the creatures by their Chinese names. Each spread holds an energetic rendering in brushstroke of the animal, with its name in Chinese characters and in transliteration. These are in black and red, with text printed in various colors, to arresting and lively effect. The language is colloquial; readers will be seduced by the vivacious line and rich verbal description, and will eagerly seek their own animals from the chart at the back. (charts, glossary) (Picture book. 7-12) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

Enlighten your Child!
The Chinese Book of Animal Powers contains beautiful artwork. The brush strokes are full of energy and intelligence. Each of the twelve animals which correspond to the energy of a given year or month are represented. The influence of the energy is represented by animals to aid the imagination. Children love this book and it is a great entry for them into understanding and playing with their imagination. Use it as a meditation and see if you encounter yourself in a new way!