The Fastest Tortoise in Town

The familiar fable of the tortoise and the hare gets a charming and funny new spin.
Barbara Hendricks has entered a running race … but what was she thinking?! After all, she’s a tortoise – and everyone knows tortoises are the slowest of the slow. But for some reason, Lorraine – her best friend and owner – believes in her, and inspires her to train a little more each day. And when race day arrives, Lorraine's support is enough to stop Barbara popping back into her shell. ln fact, Barbara soon discovers that with encouragement (and a bit of race day luck!), anything is possible!

Howard Calvert’s dry and funny first-person narration is paired with Karen Obuhanych’s vibrant and luscious artwork in this sweet origin story full of surprises.

Barbara Hendricks, a regular leopard tortoise, has entered a running race. She knows it’s not a great idea and she’s ready to back out, but her owner Lorraine believes in her and Barbara is willing to give it a go. . . . The race result might not matter for young listeners as they’ll likely be rolling with giggles at the sight of the grimly determined racers slowly—slowly—making their way across several pages of panels. . . The richly textured mixed-media art is vibrant, balancing bright pops of color in the foreground with more subtle hues in the setting. . . The try-your-best message is a familiar one, but it has an irreverent freshness here. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
Anyone who has optimistically signed up for a fun run will see themselves in friendly faced Barbara Hendricks, the 'regular leopard tortoise' who narrates this sweetly rendered variation on Aesop’s 'The Tortoise and the Hare.' . . . Delivers visual laughs and creates a tortoise to root for. Publishers Weekly
Believing in yourself helps when the odds seem stacked against you, as exemplified in this clever tale. . . any child who has faced a seemingly impossible task will relate to Barbara, right to the end. . . . Slow and steady? Call this tortoise shell-bent and dedicated. A charmer. Kirkus Reviews
In this fun nod to Aesop’s fable, a cute tortoise with an expressive little mouth and extremely longlashes belongs to a gung-ho little girl who has signed him up for a race. . . the vibrant mixed-media illustrations enhance the story with comicdetails. Booklist
This ­delightful story has a hero who works hard, accepts her limitations, and perseveres ­despite the odds. Children will root for ­Barbara and hopefully capture some of her can-do spirit and hard work ethic along the way. ­. . this book packs a lot of great lessons into a charming story, and is certainly one to add to the sports shelves, or the good sports shelves. School Library Journal

Howard Calvert is a children’s book author and magazine journalist. He enjoys spending time outdoors trail running and mountain biking. Find him online at howardcalvert.com and on Twitter as @howard_calvert.
Karen Obuhanych was raised in California, where she enjoyed the outdoors, sports and doing anything creative. Inspired by annual trips to Hawaii, where her father grew up, she moved to Oahu to study painting. Find her online at ktoart.com and on Instagram as @kto_art.

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