Book Club: Guardians of the New Moon

Guardians of the New Moon: Ming and Miaow's Great Race is Blue Peter's Book Club choice for February 2026. Follow Miaow the temple cat's adventure as he joins the Jade Emperor's Great Race... And he makes some friends along the way!

Abby is with the Blue Peter Book Clubbers, who all celebrate Lunar New Year. Inspired by the creatures in the story of the Great Race, they've headed to Chester Zoo to discuss the book and to try to find as many Lunar New Year animals as they can.

So, what did they think of the book?

"It's full of mystery."

"It's exciting."

"Adventure awaits!"

Does that sound great to you? Then read on, as you can find a sample of the first few pages of the book below!

Guardians of the New Moon is an exciting adventure based on the Chinese New Year legend, The Great Race. It's a light-hearted and action-packed adventure featuring animals from the zodiac in an exciting fiction. The story follows a spirited and firey shapeshifting girl and a cat who much prefers his own company!

Read the official synopsis:

All Miaow wants is to enjoy his peaceful, solitary life as a temple guardian catching mice. But when the Jade Emperor invites all creatures on Earth to compete in a Great Race, the reserved cat finds himself reluctantly entering - and worse, socialising! 

Spirited and fiery, shapeshifter Ming is Miaow's polar opposite, and she's determined to make him her new best friend. But she hadn't counted on Miaow making other friends too.

As the race heats up, things start to unravel... Can the pair (and their friendship) make it to the finish line?

Using a screenreader? Click here for the accessible version of Guardians of the New Moon.

Eric Huang has always been fascinated by legends and lore. As a boy, he was determined to find real-life dragons, so he studied palaeontology at university. 🦖

Reality didn't live up to his Jurassic Park dreams, though, and he found himself working at Disney and going on to launch a career in children's books, like Guardians of the New Moon!

About the illustrator

Phùng Nguyên Quang is an illustrator and picture book author based in Saigon, Vietnam. He creates his stunning artwork using a mix of watercolour, acrylic and digital. His works are inspired by the folk culture of Vietnam and Asia.

Want to learn even more about this book and its author?

Gain a deeper understanding of writing techniques like storytelling and using similes, as well as exploring the myths behind the tale. Discover how author Eric Huang brings this story to life by checking out Bitesize’s guide to Guardians of the New Moon: Ming and Miaow’s Great Race. You can even try a quiz at the end to see how much you’ve learned!

The excitement doesn't stop with Guardians of the New Moon keep watching Blue Peter to join the Book Club as we'll also be reading lots more incredible books ranging from nature poetry, to fantastic fiction, to an actual astronaut's guide to space travel!

You can look forward to:

If you loved reading Guardians of the New Moon, or just love reading in general, the Blue Peter Book Club is the place for you!

Hang out with other book fans and discuss your favourite stories. Share your thoughts on the latest Book Club book, and maybe even your Blue Peter Book badge, too!

Find out how you can apply for the Blue Peter Book Club badge here.

Did a story make you laugh out loud, whisk you away on a thrilling journey, or introduce you to unforgettable characters? By sharing your book reviews you could earn this book-tastic badge.🤩 

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