Color the Rabbit

The Rabbit is the fourth animal in the Chinese zodiac, and it crossed the river in a very clever way. In the legend of the Great Race, the Rabbit could not swim, so it hopped from one stepping stone to the next, then onto a floating log. When it looked like the Rabbit might be swept away, the kind Dragon blew a gentle puff of wind to push the log safely to shore. With a little help and a lot of quick hopping, the Rabbit finished fourth.

People born in the Year of the Rabbit are gentle, careful, and kind. A Rabbit thinks before it leaps and is a calm, thoughtful friend who notices when someone needs a little help.

When you color your Rabbit, look at the soft, rounded shapes in the design. They come from jianzhi (剪纸), the Chinese art of paper-cutting, where artists snip dainty patterns from folded paper for the new year. Try gentle pinks, creams, and pale grays for the fur, then add a ring of red around the edge, the color of luck and celebration in China.