As you’re looking for an inexpensive one-size-fits-all baby gift for all those friends of yours having kids this year, consider The Year of the Ox, the fourth children’s book in the wonderful Tales from the Chinese Zodiac series by Oliver Chin.
Since my husband was born in the year of the ox (1973 and also 2009, for those keeping score at home), I’m familiar with the sometimes-stubborn-yet-hardworking-and-admirable quality of little Olivia the Ox. She makes a mess of everything until she saves the village from a flood with her little purple tail.
It’s a fun story, but the best part was using the Chinese zodiac wheel in the beginning of the book to figure out all of our friends’ and family members’ inner personalities. I’m staying away from those rats. -Rita
Oliver Chin’s The Year of the Ox, part of the Tales from the Chinese Zodiac kids’ book series, is available at Amazon
