Turtle's Race With Beaver [Mass Market Paperback]

Joseph and James Bruchac (Author), Ariane Dewey (Illustrator), Jose Aruego (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Turtle lives in a beautiful little pond with everything a happy turtle needs. But one spring, Turtle awakes from hibernation to discover that her lovely home has been invaded! A pushy beaver takes over Turtle’s beloved pond and refuses to share. Instead, he challenges her to a race to determine who can stay. But how can a little turtle outswim a big, powerful beaver? This charming fable of brains versus brawn is a great read for all the young readers in the forest to share!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-This delightful folktale closely resembles Aesop's "The Tortoise and the Hare." A sweet-looking turtle lives contentedly in a beautiful pond until one spring she emerges from hibernation and discovers that another creature has overrun her domain. Beaver's dam and lodge have changed the pond's ambience very much indeed, but Turtle benevolently offers to share her home with the newcomer. However, impudent Beaver scoffs at the invitation and challenges her to a race. Word spreads throughout the forest and all the animals gather to witness the improbable spectacle. At the outset of the competition, Turtle sinks her teeth into Beaver's broad tail, and the pain eventually causes him to flip it in such a way that she is hurled across the finish line in first place. Humiliated, he leaves for another pond, and when his new home's terrapin resident agrees to share, he gratefully acquiesces. This appealing variant of the time-honored, cross-cultural tale conveys the need for cooperation, perseverance, and humility within group settings. Children will be so involved in the storytelling that they'll absorb these lessons effortlessly. Done in pen and ink, gouache, and pastel, the cheerful artwork is a wonderful match for this well-told tale.
Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 1-3. 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. 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. The result seems inevitable. However, at "GO!" Turtle latches on to Beaver's tail and hitches a ride. 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. 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. 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. A natural candidate for reading aloud, and for follow-up discussions, too. A source note is appended. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (October 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142404667
• ISBN-13: 978-0142404669
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 10 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,428 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Turtles
  • #19 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Turtles
  • #25 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Sports & Activities > Sports > Miscellaneous

More About the Author

Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed Abenaki children's book author, poet, novelist and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. Coauthor with Michael Caduto of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series, Bruchac's poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored more than 50 books for adults and children. For more information about Joseph, please visit his website www.josephbruchac.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars By far my favorite Bruchac book, September 16, 2008

By 

Dionne L. Abrahamson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Turtle's Race With Beaver (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read this book in the classroom and the children and I love it. It really captures their attention. They get a kick out of turtle hanging on to beavers tail. They actually ask if I will read it again. I highly recommend this to any grade school teachers.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story about cooperation and sharing!, June 25, 2008

By 

TAB "Head Start Teacher" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Turtle's Race With Beaver (Mass Market Paperback)

I can't wait to share this book with my students! I was looking for pre-school level books for our Pond Life unit! This one is so cute and teaches more than what I expected! Love it!

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this Book : ), January 25, 2011

By 

David Alexander (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Turtle's Race With Beaver (Mass Market Paperback)

This book and How Chipmunk Got his Stripes are both excellent stories with important messages that children quickly understand and respond to positively. I use these books when teaching about Native American stories and the children are always captivated until the last word, the illustrations are excellent as well.