Hare and Tortoise:

by Alison Murray

Alison Murray offers an enchanting retelling of a much-loved Aesop’s fable with a mischievous twist.

Hare (Leapus swifticus) can barely stay still for a minute. He’s the fastest on the farm. Tortoise (Slow and steadicus) can stay still for a very long time. She has occasionally been mistaken for a rock. So when they decide to have a race, Hare is certain to win . . . isn’t he? Through the meadow, around the duck pond, and straight into the carrot field. Carrots? Oh, dear. Whether encountering the classic tale for the first time or tracing the racecourse map to relive it, children will be quick to realize Hare’s folly and eager to join the cheering for easygoing, persistent Tortoise. She may be slow, but watch her go!

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Animals, Childrens, Fiction, Folklore, Rabbits

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2016

About the author

Alison Murray studied textile and interactive media design. After graduating, she moved to London where she did a variety of jobs, including selling books and designing rugs, before cofounding a successful interactive media company. She now mainly works as an illustrator and author of picture books, but still dabbles with interactive media and web design. She has published several books, including Hickory Dickory Dog. Alison Murray lives in Scotland with her family.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A popular children’s tale held Neo’s attention as we read it together. A cocky hare is sure he will be able to win yet another race, especially when his opponent is the slow-moving tortoise. When the race begins, Hare flashes ahead as Tortoise moseys along at her own pace. However, getting a little too full of himself, Hare makes a calculated mistake, which could cause havoc. A great story that embeds a lesson that Neo could see with ease. Neo loved the pictures and the funny wording used in this piece. Great for a breakfast read, with a great moral.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story Time

Ages: 1-4

Theme: Turtles

Soooo cute. It's a retelling of the tortoise and the hare but is so full of personality. The kids really liked it.

[Emily Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really lovely retelling of a classic story. I love the story with regards to morals and teaching children valuable lessons, but particularly love this edition because of the illustrations and some really beautiful touches like the character description of both the hare and the tortoise and the map of their run. Definitely one to take into schools.

[Ann Haefele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite retellings of this fable. It has a fun and mischievous feel, and readers will enjoy looking at the map of the race on the endpapers. Also unique are the in depth profiles of the two opponents. Good edition for reading to large groups because of the large and colorful illustrations.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun retelling that includes a scale of how many "tortoise tootles" make up a hare hop, and a chart about hare and a description of the 2 contestants.

[AMY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice twist on an old tale. Lovely illustrations. Great dialogue and narration. Kids will love this one. Highly recommended for Gr. K-3.

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful retelling for toddlers, with jus enough words and colorful illustrations.

[Nikki Rohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hare and Tortoise retold by Alison Murray is a traditional story with a modern spin. Growing up, I was familiar with the original story of the Tortoise and the Hare as well as the message that can be taken away from the story. With that said, this retelling carries the same message as the original story that slow and steady wins the race. The page formats in the story are very intriguing as some pages have multiple illustrations and story panels, while other pages are character profiles. The illustrations and text also show movement on the pages as the story is unfolding.

I read this story via a video online. I enjoyed reading the story online because it was read aloud by a storyteller. The speaker's voice was full of theater and vibrance as they read this retelling of a classic tale. When thinking of my classroom, I would share this book with my students during our storytelling unit at the end of the year. We spend a lot of time exploring classic fairytales, fables, tale tales, etc. Last year, we would spend a few days on one story. I would read the original story on the first day and read fractured or retold versions over the following days. My students enjoyed this routine as they were able to read a range of stories and compare/contrast different versions of one story. I might also use this story during an SEL lesson to show to importance of taking your time, being positive, and trying your best!

[Maddie Gilmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
This story is about a hare and a tortoise who live on a farm. One day the really fast hare and the really slow tortoise decide to have a race. The hare knows he is going to win because he is the fastest. The hare thinks he can take a break since the tortoise is so slow. When the hare falls asleep, the tortoise passes the hare and wins the race.

Evaluation:
This is a classic book that all students should read at least once. This is a story about being arrogant and how being arrogant can cause consequences. A lot of students can be arrogant or overconfident and suffer consequences, so I think it is great for them to read.

Teaching Tips:
After reading this book, students could discuss about why it is wrong to be arrogant and why we should treat everyone with respect. Students need to learn to be positive towards each other and they could come up with ways that the hare could have been positive instead of arrogant.

[Brian Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hare and Tortoise one of Aesop's Fables adapted by Alison Murray. The first thing I noticed upon entering this book was the wonderful artwork contained inside. The humorous charm of the characters complimented the bold use of color and the simple but effective landscapes. When I read this book to a group of Kindergarteners, they were mesmerized by the contents of its pages. There are so many versions of this fable and many of them get off track from the original but this one stayed true while incorporating accents that didn't take away from the message.

[Allison Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story with great illustrations! This story tells information about each character and gives facts about them. A great activity with this book would be to have students draw a picture of themselves and write facts about themselves like the book. Students will be able to pick up on the lesson about being slow and steady and being kind to others easily with this book.

[Kenson and kirra · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like it when my mom reads the books to the stories i already know. then i can pretend i'm reading with her. she likes it when i tell her stories. i learned about the hare and tortoise story from watching barney -- age 5

[Kelsey Bielec]

This is a cute retelling of the classic fable. This book emphasizes friendship at the end and has adorable illustrations. I would definitely use it in a lesson about folktales/fables. The book has fun charts and maps to look at and dissect.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

An updated version of the Tortoise and the Hare. I really enjoyed the style of the pictures in this book, and I liked the interaction between the tortoise and the hare as well as the details added in the story.

[Kate M. Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack and I borrowed this book from the library. I thought he would benefit from the lesson. He enjoyed the race between the tortoise and the hare, but his favorite part was the maps on the end pages. He’s really into maps right now and loved tracing the race path.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

CCPBA 2018

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun retelling of The Tortoise and the Hare.

[Kelly Veatch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice tortoise and hare story.

[McKenna Ruedinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this retelling and I think it has a great message that everyone needs to hear every now and then!

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I once heard Dave Ramsey say that a billionaire recommended this book (not necessarily this edition) as indispensable for getting ahead financially.

[Andre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artwork is amazing, story is fun!

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful retelling for the younger kids! Clear, simple illustrations; direct, specific storyline with just enough detail to be interesting but not too much to clog the main idea.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because... even though the tortoise is slow he keeps trying his best and he wins the race.

E- 7years old.

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute modern version of Aesop fable the Tortoise and the Hare.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book for preschool story-time.

[Priya · Rating 5 out of 5]

love the trail maps and story retold

[Angela De Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant re-imagining of classic tale. Love the artwork.

[Freddie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun retelling of Aesop's classic fable, full of heart and that powerful message we all know so well.

[Mallory Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book that teaches children valuable lessons. It is also cute and engaging for young children.

[Victoria Coody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great and teaches valuable lessons for young children. It has humor and great illustrations that will always intrigue young children.