I enjoyed this retelling of the well known Aesop's fable but the wonderful illustrations set this book apart from the others. ( )

A picture-book retelling of the classic fable attributed to Aesop, The Hare and the Tortoise expands upon the original considerably, giving each contender a personality, and adding a cast of secondary characters. When the active Hare, running-mad and a little prone to bragging, comes upon scholarly old Tortoise, out for a picnic, the antagonism between the two comes to a head, and a race is proposed. All the other forest animals get involved, from Badger, who sells tickets, to Mole, who marks out a rather uneven course. Hare is so convinced that he can't lose, that he takes a nap during the course of the race, and... well, we all know what comes next.

I enjoyed Caroline Castle's retelling of this fable, which she transforms into a genuine story, and appreciated Peter Weevers' beautiful full-page watercolor illustrations, as well as the black & white drawings interspersed throughout. His artwork reminded me of E.H. Shepard's illustrations in The Wind in the Willows - a pleasant association. This somewhat older picture-book (1985), is long out-of-print I believe, but is well worth the time of any Aesop enthusiast looking for quality adaptations. ( )