The Really Groovy Story of the Tortoise and the Hare

May 9, 2011
In this jumped-up version of the fable, Hare is a hip city-dweller in shades and a tight jacket ("He was zippy, sometimes lippy,/ takin' taxis everywhere"), while Tortoise is a country bumpkin with peace signs all over his shell ("He was quite the mellow fellow/ chillin' out beside the pool"). When the two collide at a "happenin' county fair," they decide to race as part of the festivities. Forshay's (Frog and Pig) action-packed spreads depict dilly-dallying Hare as he paints a self-portrait and even performs a rock concert, dressed in Elvis-style threads. Golden hues and smudged outlines temper the animals' waxy veneer, while hallucinogenic moiré backgrounds amplify Hare's panic once he realizes that he's underestimated his competition. Despite some awkward phrasing ("Then he danced/ and he pranced/ till the crowd became entrancedâ/ as he rocked/ while he squawked/ making everybody shocked!"), Crow (Cool Daddy Rat) is mostly faithful to her metric rules. The lanky urbanite's bravado and the hoppy pace should insure that this retelling earns some read-aloud time. Ages 4â8.