Hare and Tortoise Race Across Israel

by Laura Gehl

Overview

What will the hare and the tortoise see as they race across Israel from Tel Aviv to the Dead Sea?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467738194
Publisher:	Kar-Ben Publishing
Publication date:	01/01/2015
Series:	Scanguards Vampires ##2
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	AD650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

Editorial Reviews

The traditional Aesop’s fable of the braggart rabbit and the plodding turtle is transposed to Israel to illustrate the diversity of the Middle Eastern country. The traditional rivals decide to race in a train station in Tel Aviv. The race starts from this cosmopolitan city, home to opera and museums, as the Hare brags of being faster than a train leaving the station. The pair keep relative pace, with the Hare ahead while the Tortoise stops to say, “Shalom,” to friendly race watchers. In old Jerusalem, the Hare takes a break to visit the open-air marketplace and dine on dried apricots. He also watches a children’s soccer game and watches street performers on Ben Yehudah St. Perhaps Hare took a little too much time sightseeing, since Tortoise catches up to him, but the hospitality of a Bedouin tent and a peaceful oasis are too much for Hare to resist. As in the original story, Hare takes a nap and Tortoise beats him to the finish line at the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea must be particularly salty and buoyant, because an elephant is floating on the water. While a fun-filled interpretation of an old story, the character-filled pages do not really define Israel in a travelogue way. It is hard to decide if this is simply a clever retelling of an old tale or a book intended to encourage families to jump on the next El-Al flight the Israel. To its credit, the characters, especially the animals, are charming and animated if sometimes out of place, as with the floating elephant and bear in the Red Sea, and a spouting whale off the beach at Tel Aviv. Back matter includes a map of the race across Israel which also underlines exactly how narrow the country actually is. Reviewer: Lois Rubin Gross; Ages 4 to 8.

Children's Literature - Lois Rubin Gross

11/24/2014
Gehl uses the framework of Aesop’s well-known fable to give readers a brief overview of some of Israel’s cultural and topographical highlights. After visiting the beach, the opera, and musuems, Hare and Tortoise stage a race to the Dead Sea. While Hare dashes ahead, Tortoise takes time to say shalom to passersby. “Want to share my falafel?” he asks Hare innocently, after catching up to him midway through the race. Working in a milky, muted palette, Goudreau’s crisply defined illustrations successfully capture Israel’s urban bustle, geographic diversity, and leisure attractions, including the friends’ dip in the Dead Sea afterward. “Slow and steady might win the race,” Tortoise admits, “but I’m hot and sore, too.” Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Erzsi Deàk, Hen&ink. Illustrator’s agency: Advocate Art. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

03/01/2015
PreS-Gr 2—The age-old fable is retold with a modern Israeli setting. The tortoise and the hare race from Tel Aviv to the Dead Sea, allowing readers to glimpse at locations along the way, from the city of Jerusalem to an oasis in the desert. Instead of providing a "whirlwind tour" like so many picture books about Israel, the locales are well integrated into the story line, and the characters' actions flesh out their personalities. Cleanly stylish, slightly retro digital illustrations show an Israel populated by diverse people and animals. Hebrew signage adds local flavor. The final spread offers a stylized map showing the race route and reminding readers of the things the tortoise and hare encountered along the way. VERDICT A wonderfully unique approach to showcasing Israel for young children.—Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

School Library Journal

2014-12-06
Anyone who knows "The Tortoise and the Hare" probably remembers the moral: Slow and steady wins the race. This version of the story has a second moral: Go to Israel.In this picture book, the title characters are friends who live in Tel Aviv, and they're racing each other to the Dead Sea. Hare keeps getting distracted by the local sights. He stops by the shuk to buy dried apricots. He sits down in an oasis to enjoy tea and baklava. Readers will sympathize. Every page is full of so many wonderful distractions that the book feels like an ad for the Israeli tourist industry. If readers look closely at the artwork, they'll see a bear on top of a unicycle, juggling as it rides, and a cat floating in the water, reading the paper. Instead of teaching the value of slow and steady progress, this version of the fable says: Stop and look around; there are olive groves and persimmon trees. The book is full of mixed messages, but if the moral is confused, readers won't mind. There are animals everywhere: whales and ravens and swimming camels. They're made up of bold, geometric shapes in gorgeous pastel colors. If the story teaches any lesson at all, it's this: A short attention span can be a glorious thing, particularly in a place like this. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews