School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 1-In this easy-to-read retelling of Aesop's fable, Turtle rides the bus while Rabbit runs to school. Though the bus makes several stops along the way, allowing Rabbit to get ahead, he decides to stop for a snack, and Turtle arrives first. The smug victor turns to his breathless friend and says, "Let's race tomorrow-I'll give you a head start." The large print, controlled vocabulary, and simple sentences are appropriate for beginning readers. Denise's colorful illustrations and winsome animal schoolchildren reinforce the text. Rabbit is shown bolting down the road with papers, books, and pencils flying out of his backpack while Turtle sits comfortably on the bus drinking juice from his brown-paper lunch sack. A much-loved story, presented in a humorous way.-Joyce Rice, Limestone Creek Elementary School, Jupiter, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
In this update of The Tortoise and the Hare, Rabbit challenges Turtle to a race to school, with Rabbit on foot and Turtle riding the bus. Rabbit appears the clear winner--until his snack stop proves his undoing. The simple text is well suited to the story and to the intended audience of beginning readers. Denise's soft, old-fashioned illustrations feature expressive animal characters. From HORN BOOK Fall 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Floyd and Denise update The Tortoise and the Hare for primary readers, captioning each soft-focus, semi-rural scene with a short, simple sentence or two. Rabbit proposes running to school, while his friend Turtle takes the bus: no contest at first, as the bus makes stop after deliberate stop, but because Rabbit pauses at a pushcart for a snack, a fresh-looking Turtle greets his panting, disheveled friend on the school steps. There is no explicit moral, but children will get the pointand go on to enjoy Margery Cuylers longer and wilder Road Signs: A Harey Race with a Tortoise (p. 957). (Easy reader. 5-7)
Booklist Review
Gr. K^-1. The hare and the rabbit are competing again in this Green Light Reader. This time, they are classmates, and Rabbit proposes a race: he'll hop to school, and Turtle can ride the bus. Rabbit sets off at a furious pace but stops for a snack, just as the bus pulls in, and Turtle wins. Beginning readers will find much to enjoy here. Simple but descriptive monosyllabic words are set in large type against plenty of white space, and the lovely illustrations mirror the story's action and fill in the narrative gaps. In detailed, slightly nostalgic paintings, Denise creates wonderfully expressive characters out of the two rivals, perfectly rendering Rabbit's chaotic energy and Turtle's smug surprise at story's end. --Gillian Engberg