The classic Aesopian fable of The Tortoise and the Hare is retold by author/illustrator Paul Galdone in this picture-book from 1962. When the boastful Hare declares that he can beat anyone in a contest of speed, the calm Tortoise accepts his challenge, proving in the end that "slow and steady wins the race..."

Fable number 226 in the Perry Index of Aesopica, this particular tale is one that is as familiar to me as any, well-known and loved since childhood. This retelling from Galdone is the fifth such picture-book I have picked up——the previous four being: The Hare and the Tortoise by Caroline Castle and Peter Weevers, The Race by Caroline Repchuk, The Tortoise and the Hare by Janet Stevens, and The Hare and the Tortoise by Helen Ward——since beginning to record my reading online, but is not one I recall ever encountering, when young. Needless to say, the story needed little introduction. I found the narrative simple but engaging, and the artwork, mostly in black and white, with color accents, quite appealing. I found Galdone's animal characters very expressive, and thought their depiction was well done. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for good, solid retellings of this fable. ( )

Genre: Folktale

Review: This is such a classic story with such deep meanings behind it. It is a folktale for two reasons; one, because it is a passed down story with many other interpretations and illustrations of it, and two, because it teaches us a lesson about how pride hurts us in the long run and how humility helps us in the long run.

Point of View: The point of view of this story is omniscient third person because it's told as if the author is looking down from above at the story playing out below him and telling it as it is happening.

Media: three colors green, brown, and yellow pencils ( )