Description
Rickshaw is a proud, vain and extremely noisy rooster living in the backstreets of 1920s Shanghai. When the Annual Race along the famous Bund is announced, winning is a matter of national pride for the contestants representing Shanghai’s international Concessions. But Rickshaw Rooster has other ideas! Will the foreigners win again, or will a local hero carry the day? Find out in this tale of loyalty, ruffled feathers and cocky determination! Highlights 1920s Shanghai, its famous Bund, the international concessions, the end of empire and the rise of nationalism in China, and the special characteristics of people born in the Year of the Rooster.
“A wonderful romp through 1920s Shanghai, packed with historical sites, sounds and characters that kids will love. Brennan and Harrison’s latest tale sweeps you back through the days of the city’s glamorous past in this wonderfully illustrated children’s book, complete with a charismatic mob of animals out to win the day.” – Helen Roxburgh, Books Editor, Time Out Shanghai
“Watch out kids – Sarah Brennan and Harry Harrison are back! And this time they’re roaring into the twentieth century. The place? Shanghai, Paris of the East. The event? The annual Shanghai Race. But this year there’s a twist. Instead of horses galloping around the track, it will be cars charging along the Bund. The city’s high and mighty will be there, determined to reach the finish line first. But the poor folk of Shanghai have two aces up their sleeves: Rickshaw runner Tommy Tan, the fastest man in town, and his pal Rickshaw Rooster, the cockiest bird around!” – John Carroll, Professor of History, University of Hong Kong
About the author
Sarah Brennan was born in Hobart, in the beautiful Australian island state of Tasmania. Her family kept a menagerie of animals including peacocks, guinea fowl, pheasants, ducks and goats, and there was even a wild platypus in the creek at the bottom of the garden! She began writing poems and stories as a child, and hasn’t really stopped since! Coming to Hong Kong in 1998 gave her the impetus to follow her childhood dreams, and in 2004 her first children’s book, A Dirty Story, was published, followed by An Even Dirtier Story the following year.
But, visiting Hong Kong schools, with children drawn largely from Chinese or Asian backgrounds, Sarah became increasingly keen to write for them about their culture and history… and in 2007, the Chinese Calendar Tales were born. With great storylines packed with interesting vocabulary and history, and fact boxes inside the cover of every book, Sarah is delighted to see her books used as teaching tools in primary schools throughout China, Southeast Asia and Australia.
Sarah is also an ardent promoter of children’s literacy, running regular international writing competitions on her blog for primary school children, which attract entries from around the world including the US, the UK, China, Singapore, India, Hong Kong and Australia. She is also an enthusiastic Writer Ambassador for Room to Read, an international charity promoting literacy and girls’ education in Third World countries, and speaks regularly to parents, teachers, librarians and their associations about the fundamental importance of reading print books in the digital age.
Visit Sarah’s funny and fabulous blog at www.sarahbrennanblog.com!
