Why do cats chase mice? And why do cats wash their faces with their paws? This Japanese retelling of the ancient folktale of the twelve zodiac signs explains why! Filled with vibrant watercolor illustrations, this book follows the animals as they compete in a race that will determine the order of the twelve zodiac signs. Young readers will delight in guessing the outcome, and even learn the names of the animals in Japanese. Included at the end is a glossary of 13 animal names in Japanese written both in English and Japanese hiragana, with an easy pronunciation guide.