How Jackrabbit Got His Very Long Ears

by Heather Irbinskas, Kenneth J. Spengler (Illustrator)

Because he doesn't listen carefully to what the Great Spirit tells him about each of the animals he is supposed to lead to their desert homes, Jackrabbit causes much unhappiness with his careless answers to the animals' questions.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1994

Reviews

[Clay Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good creation story, The Great Spirit looked much like a Greek god. Enjoyed the online reading online on youtube.

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and cute with a great message of using your ears properly to hear and that everyone has special traits special to them.

[Brian Cortes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irbinskas, Heather. Spengler, Kenneth J. How Jackrabbit Got His Very Long Ear. (1994). The story begins with the creation of the desert and the animals that make up the ecosystem. The Great Spirit assigns Jackrabbit as embassador of the desert and is responsible for accommodating to the new animals that are being made, and explain to them their reason for their creation. Jackrabbit was given instructions on every animal, and their purpose that they have in the desert. The roadrunner, tortoise, and bobcat receive wrong information from Jackrabbit because he does not pay attention to the Great Spirit when he was giving instructions on these three animals. Jackrabbit tells the roadrunner that he is not as great as the eagle, the bobcat that he has a short tail because they ran out of long tails, and tells the tortoise that it is slow because it is not smart. The Great Spirit finds out of the misinformation and personally tells each animal what they were suppose to hear from Jackrabbit the first time, and by talking to them he keeps them happy. The Great Spirit makes Jack Rabbit's’ ears longer, so he could hear better. The story was very interesting, and captivating because of the use of animals and their creation in the desert. The illustrations were colorful and lively, which gave you a good idea of the visual aspects of the animals and desert. It is a good story because it has a very powerful message of listening, and when not remembering what you heard, not to fabricate the story. The book is a good to be read aloud to a group of kids, and the kids would be very attentive because of the great illustrations and interesting story. Target audience: ages 5-8.

[Jessica Wenninger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading about Jackrabbit. This story was engaging and clearly explained in a fun way why jackrabbits have such long ears. The illustrations were well drawn and really added to the story and helped the reader to visualize the words.

[Nicole Agadoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of how jackrabbits got their long ears. It features many different animals that are found in the desert and describes their features. This book is engaging and humorous. It would be great for a lesson on folklore, or even a lesson on desert animals.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having grandparents in the desert, this was bound to be added to our collection. A wordier book, but loved by Alex and Katie in the early elementary school years.

[Julie]

This is an original pourquoi tale (a story that explains how something came to be) that brings in many desert animals and calls attention to their attributes.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

good fable and resources for attention getting writting

[Katie]

AR BL: 4.3
Points 0.5

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much in the spirit of "just so stories", mixed with a bit of Native American lore. Fun.

[Mellanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy creation myths and legends, and this one was fun to read. I'm donating it to the book nook at my school.

[T.D. Wade]

Based on this story, similar stories, including YouTube videos...I honestly believe that this was plagiarized. I wrote a high school essay that was entered into a literature contest by my teacher unbeknownst to myself.

I won first place and came in 2nd place in the regional. I never got my essay back and did not think much of it over the years.

Nowadays, I have seen many stories online and on YouTube that is too coincidental compared to my essay. All of them reference the exact premise.

This person may have "allegedly" stole from my story and presented it as their own. Although the wording is not exact, from beginning to the end...I believe 10000% that this author, "allegedly" used my essay.