Turtle's Race with Beaver by Joseph Bruchac

A natural candidate for reading aloud, and for follow-up discussions, too. A chorus of cheering animal spectators invites audience participation, and there are plenty of visual cues to the contestants' emotional states in the illustrators' bright, flowing scenes. When Turtle magnanimously offers to share the pond, Beaver swims away-but instead of commandeering another turtle's pond, he humbly asks its resident whether he can stay. As the end of the race approaches, Turtle chomps down on the tail, and Beaver's reflexive twitch flips Turtle over the finish line first. However, at 'GO!' Turtle latches on to Beaver's tail and hitches a ride. Little Turtle wakes from her winter sleep to find that her beloved pond has been taken over by an aggressive beaver, who proposes a race to see who stays and who goes. A clever twist and a final bit of psychological realism give this variant on a Seneca Indian 'Tortoise and Hare' tale unusually broad audience appeal.

Here is a bright, rambunctious follow-up to the popular How Chipmunk Got His Stripes, which School Library Journal called, in a starred review, a 'polished, cohesive, and energetic begs to be told.' The authors and illustrators once again bring a fresh, lively perspective to a traditional story-this one a Seneca folktale that has much in common with Aesop. The prize? Ownership of the pond-and the loser must leave forever! How can poor little Turtle possibly outswim Beaver with his long flat tail? With brains and cunning, of course. Turtle wakes up from hibernation to find that her pond has been taken over by a beaver-a selfish beaver who rejects Turtle's offer to share and instead challenges her to a swimming race. When Beaver challenges Turtle to a swimming race for ownership of the pond, Turtle outsmarts Beaver, and Beaver learns to share. When Beaver challenges Turtle to a swimming race for ownership of the pond, Turtle outsmarts Beaver, and Beaver learns to share, in a Native American version of the 'Tortoise and Hare' folktale.

Turtle's Race with Beaver by Joseph Bruchac