Hare and the Tortoise/Audio Cassette

Rating:
Summary: 3.5 It¿s NOT the Shoes
Review: At first, the hare is not as inconsiderate and boastful, nor the tortoise quite as virtuous as Jones might have us believe in her version of the fable. In fact, I thought this might become a parody of the moral about the race not always going to the swiftest (maybe the fitter hare might win for once). However, the two animals take their customary roles after this initial originality. It's the familiar tale after all, with some reworking of the pieces.

Illustrations are quirkily interesting, colorful though not vibrant, and a bit too cluttered. Jones shows a deft narrative touch when she describes the other animals helping Tortoise ("A family of frogs jumped into their pond and splashed water all over Tortoise to cool him down."), and she pulls off an exciting finish line.

Neatly cut holes in the center of each page (the pages resemble a collection of old 45 vinyl sleeves) reveal the center of the facing illustration. This is a nice, slightly updated rendering of the fable that younger kids will especially enjoy, but it's not as satisfying as it might have been.