There have been a lot of fairy tale retellings over the past few years, but I don’t recall seeing a fable retelling recently and I’m delighted to be invited to review this picture book of the Hare and the Tortoise revived: The Great Race.

The writing has a traditional storyteller feel to it, very similar to the Sussex Folk Takes by Michael O’Leary that I read myself a few years ago where I felt myself sitting around a campfire listening to others sharing tales. Given the volume of text and the writing style, I think this book does lend itself to being read aloud.

There are plenty of learnings woven into the narrative (hares vs rabbits, turtles vs tortoises, solitary animals etc) which is great for sparking discussions, and is done in a fun way.

I was a bit puzzled when I first opened this as there seemed to be random words in different colours and underlined, and I wondered if I’d been sent an unedited proof copy, but then I realised it was a vocab trick highlighting particular words and phrases and then echoing them back in simpler English. Never seen this done before but presumably it’s a tried and tested tool from the authors educator background. So I’m not surprised to see a little test sneak in at the end!

Note: British readers may struggle with some of the phrases – “slowpoke” is used repeatedly, which I googled to double check was the same as “slowcoach” (it is).

Giveaway to Win a $20 Amazon Gift Card and e-copy of The Great Race (Open INT)

The author is running a little competition. You can enter here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494604/?

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Blurb

Get Ready, Set, Go!

Who will win the race? Slow and steady or fast and reckless? 

The Great Race is the first bedtime story in the delightful Return to Fable Land series – modern day fables with magical animal adventures, humorous fantasy action, and whimsical ‘talking’ characters with attitude and smarts, engage the imagination and stimulate the intellect, empowering children to go for a personal best. Ages 5 +

Author Bio

Sun Chara has collaborated with her brother, writing as Joe Happy-Light, on several children’s books for Return to Fable Land series. With the authors’ collective backgrounds in education, entertainment, medicine, and martial arts, combined with their entrepreneurial spirit, The Great Race, the first modern day fable in the series.