The Tortoise and the Hare
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pinkney, J. 2013. K. The tortoise and the hare. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. ISBN 978-0316183567
PLOT SUMMARY
The Tortoise and the Hare is a story that has been shared by many generations. A group of animals in the desert are about to experience a race between two quite distinct animals, a tortoise, and a hare. As the race begins, we see the hare taking the lead using all its energy. On the other hand, the tortoise takes its time, stopping and even communicating with the animals he meets along the way. As hare realizes he is much ahead of tortoise, it decides to take a quick break and munch on some lettuce he finds along the path. He finds a soft, comfortable place and dozes off to sleep. Hare continues the journey slowly and steady. Much to Hare’s dismay, Tortoise finishes the race before him.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Pinkney retells a story told through many generations with a powerful theme, it is better to take your time than to rush to do things. The tortoise and the hare symbolize basic human traits which are those who are constant like tortoise and those who are inconsistent like hare. The few words written in the book, “slow and steady,” are repeated throughout the story. The words echo the message of being reliable. Although the setting of the story is in the desert which is covered by neutral tones, the illustrations are vibrant with colors. The clothing the animals in the story wear are vibrant and vivid as are the growing flowers of the cactus. The animals’ bodies are detailed with lines and squares to create rough skin and prickly cacti and swift brushstrokes to form soft fur. A personal statement shared by the author in a final note was his own struggle with dyslexia and the need for him to start over and steady many times.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly, starred review - "Pinkney's magnificently illustrated version of this famous fable gives the race the excitement of an Olympic event."
Kirkus “With luminous mixed media pictures, a short, carefully meted-out text and a Southwestern U.S. setting, Pinkney (The Lion and the Mouse, 2009) takes on another of Aesop’s fables—marvelously.
CONNECTIONS
This book reminds us that challenging work takes consistency and perseverance, and that when we do things in an unpredictable way and lose focus of our goals, we can lose ground.
Other related books:
Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
Flight School by Lita Judge
Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn Jordan
Activity: Have a class discussion of an event where the students had to give all their effort to get something done and how they felt after reaching their accomplishment.
Turtle's Race with Beaver
Bruchac, J. & Bruchac, J. 2003. Turtle's race with beaver. Ill. by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. New York, NY. Dial Division. ISBN 978-0142404669
PLOT SUMMARY
Turtle's Race with Beaver is a retelling of a favorite Native American folktale about two animals who compete with one another to see who can win a race by showing off their abilities. Turtle lives peacefully in a pond where it spends the best summer days basking in the warm sun. As winter approaches, she decides to bury herself in the mud and prepare for hibernation. As months pass and Turtle awakes, it realizes someone else has made this habitat its home. Realizing a beaver has accommodated itself in the pond, Turtle tries to share the pond to no avail. The animals decide to compete for the pond. Whoever wins a swim race across the pond will be the winner. Turtle knows he is a slow swimmer and may not have the physical strength as Beaver, but soon realizes his mental abilities are sharper than ever.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
A folktale passed down through oral traditions for centuries amongst the Northeastern Woodland peoples. In this version the beaver resembles a powerful and physically strong individual. Contrary to this character, the turtle represents those without physical strength, but with a great ability to solve problems and use their thinking skills. Towards the middle of the story the animals tell each other the situation of the events happening, just like these folktales were passed amongst the people. The author repeats chants in bold letters to show the animals' excitement during the race. Figurative language, such as onomatopoeia is used as the characters begin the competition.
The illustrations are lively and colorful, adding excitement to the story. The splashing scenes in the book show the tension between the two animals as they prepare to win the race.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Kirkus- “The artists’ trademark energy-filled pen-and-ink and gouache illustrations enhance the tale with color and humor. Each animal bursts with personality in this sure winner."
Booklist- “A clever twist and a final bit of psychological realism give this variant on a Seneca Indian “Tortoise and Hare” tale unusually broad audience appeal.”
CONNECTIONS
This story is great for class discussion about how not everything can be achieved by physical strength. Sometimes taking things slowly and pondering how to solve a problem is a superior way to achieve a goal.
Other related books:
The Tortoise and the Hare by Jerry Pinkey
Give up, Gecko! by Margaret Read Macdonald
Activity: Have students choose two animals and draft a short story about how the weaker animal proves victorious by using his thinking skills instead of his physical abilities.
The Three Swingin’ Pigs
Rubin, V. 2007. The three swingin’ pigs. Ill.by Rhode Montijo. New York, NY. Henry Holt and Company. 978-0805073355
PLOT SUMMARY
Satch, Mo, and Ella are three talented singing pigs who perform all over the country. However, Wolfie is not too fond of them because they left his uncle ridiculed sometime in the past. Wolfie wants to show up to one of the pigs’ performances and finish them up. Wolfie appears at the Littlepiggie Hall, but the smart pigs realize he is in the audience, and that he has vicious plans. They invite him to sing up on stage, and for the first time Wolfie realizes how fun it is to entertain a live audience. The three clever pigs convince Wolfie to change his plan.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This folktale is an adaptation from the Three Little Pigs which has been told for many generations. In this story the author uses a different setting to city life and changes the characters’ perspectives. Instead of being three defenseless pigs, these characters appear confident and clever. The three little pigs are jazz players who perform across the country. The author creates rhythm with the beats of the music. Repetition is used throughout the story to emphasize the tunes of the music. A constant “scat-scooby-dooby, skit-scat-skedoodle, shoooo!” and a “wee-wee-wee-wee!” are recurring in the story.
The illustrator uses bright, vivid colors throughout the story. Purples, oranges, dark pinks, and yellows pop to show more action. Wolfie’s bad breath is shown in a neon green color scattered through the scenes. In some scenes the illustrator recalls two other favorite folktales Little Red Riding Hood and Little Bo Peep.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Kirkus starred review- “Montijo's red-hot pictures and Rubin's skit-scat-skedoodle words make this take-off a hand-clapping, foot-stomping romp.”
School Library Journal -“Kids should get a kick out of this hip riff on an old standard.”
CONNECTIONS
This story is great for class discussion about how we can form a negative opinion about someone, but when we get to work with them, we realize we were mistaken or judged others without having any reason.
Other related books:
The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz
The Three Little Bass and the Big Bad Gar by James R. Miller
Activities: Have students form groups to create their own version of the Three Little Pigs using different settings to the story and changing the characters work or profession to give it a twist.
This story can also be used as a reader’s theater activity where the students make up the voices of the characters.
A Cloak for the Moon
Kimmel, E. A. (2001). A cloak for the moon. Ill. By Katya Krenina. New York, NY. Holiday House. 978-0823414932.
PLOT SUMMARY
This folktale is retold from Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav. Haskel, a tailor, spends his days sewing beautiful clothes and his nighttime admiring the moon. In a dream, the moon tells him that she gets cold at night and would love for him to make her a cloak to cover her. Haskel is determined to find a special fabric that can expand and contract to fit the needs of the moon. He travels the world to keep his promise. As he continues his journey, he meets a queen who is anxiously concerned about her daughter not being able to get married because the royal wedding dress, made from beams of light, cannot be fixed. Haskel begins to work through the night on the wedding gown discovering that the secret to mending it is to work at night while the magical garment is woven with threads of light from the moon.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
A Cloak for the Moon is a tale that combines folklore with the author’s imagination. The story is centered in a distant village where the characters follow superstition and magical stories. The main character, Haskel, follows his dream in this vivid journey across the land. Some common themes in the story are the importance of perseverance and selflessness. Each character is developed with its own conflicts and narrative. Haskel will do anything in his power to keep his promise to the moon while the queen will do anything for the princess’s happiness.
Through the illustrations, cultural traditions and costumes are observed. We can recognize detailed pictures of rich attire and textures, as well as distinct backgrounds and scenery. The drawings show arid deserts, luscious forests, and rapid, raging rivers.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Goodreads-”This is a beautiful and enchanting tale; the illustrations are terrific, and the narrative is filled with interesting twists and turns.”
Kirkus- “Kimmel identifies his source as one of the mystical tales of Rabbi Nachman, without further elaboration on the tale itself. While not obviously reflective of its Hasidic roots, the retelling is satisfying both as a story of devotion and determination and as a magical look at the nature of light.”
CONNECTIONS
This story can be used for a class discussion about what some of our dreams are and how we can work to achieve them.
Other related books:
Imani’s Moon by Janay- Brown Wood
Rumpelstiltskin by The Brothers Grimm
Activities: Invite students to imagine an alternate ending for the story or to write a sequel exploring what happens to the characters after the events of the book. This activity encourages creativity and allows students to practice their writing skills.
Have students create illustrations or artwork inspired by scenes from the book. They can use various mediums such as drawing, painting, or collage to bring the story to life visually. Display the artwork in the classroom to enhance the learning environment.
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