Oliver Chin, illustrated by Miah Alcorn,
The Year of the Ox
Immedium, 2009.

Ages- 4-8

The fourth installment in Oliver Chin and Miah Alcorn’s “Tales from the Chinese Zodiac,” The Year of the Ox introduces us to a young girl, named Mei, and her “little sister,” Olivia, a “sweet and peaceful-mannered” calf.

When the pair’s playfulness and sense of adventure lead them into one too many problems, the little calf is summoned to “pull her own weight” around the farm. Eager to help, Olivia heads straight, and stubbornly, to the difficult job of plowing the fields. “I’m a big girl now, and I can handle it all by myself,” she tells her parents. But when Mama and Papa suggest she try a different job, she engages in a string of new, ill-fitted tasks: she spills the water she fetches; drops the stalks of rice loaded on to her back; and even makes a fool of herself at the farmer’s market, where she is supposed to be staying out of trouble.

Despite her unsuccessful attempts to help and the disappointment she causes those around her, Olivia never loses faith in herself, and when an old dam breaks and threatens to flood the farm, her determination and willingness to help finally pay off--and save the day.

Chin’s keen sense of humor and Alcorn’s hilarious cartoon-like illustrations will appeal to young children, through and through. Olivia’s story introduces the personality attributes associated with those born in the Year of the Ox while showing, in an engaging and playful manner, that it takes determination, patience and hard work to be true to oneself.

Aline Pereira
February, 2009