Rather a different take on why the animals of the Chinese zodiac ended up in the order they did, but I like the repetition in the narrative and the efforts of the illustrator to represent the style of traditional Chinese art. ( )

Woerkom, Dorothy, & Cain, Errol. (1976). The rat, the ox, and the zodiac. New York: Crown Publishers.
A Chinese legend adapted by the author.
This book has beautiful illustrations on "plain paper" pages, not the glossy pages usually seen in picture books. "The illustrations are 4/color pre-separated ink and wash drawings with wash overlays, reproduced in halftone." (from the verso page) The illustrations have a lot of detail and characters show facial expressions which complement the text.
The story recounts how the Rat became the animal to represent the first year of the Chinese zodiac. The story was written with some humor and repetition for younger audiences.