Reviews

Turtle's Race with Beaver by Ariane Dewey, Joseph Bruchac, José Aruego, James Bruchac

erinmp's review against another edition

3.0

Turtle has a great home--a pond that is not too deep with lots of rocks for sunning. Winter approaches and Turtle dives down to the mus to hibernate for winter. Unbeknownst to Turtle, Beaver comes along and decides that with some work, the pond will be a perfect new home for him. So he builds a dam and a lodge and then hibernates himself. When Turtle reappears, he is shocked at how his lovely home has been transformed and asks Beaver if they can share and compromise. Beaver refuses, but suggests a race--the winner getting to stay, the loser must move. Turtle assumes that it is hopeless, but he really doesn't have a choice, so he agrees. But the at the race, Turtle gets an idea...

This story was originally an oral Native American tale, passed down through the centuries. The authors, a father-son duo, give a bit of an introduction at the beginning that is very interesting (though probably not for young children). I learned that Aesop means "Ethiopian," a signifier that the Greek slave was originally from Africa. This story, quite similar to the Tortoise and the Hare, is heartwarming with the underdog triumphing in the end.

crystal_reading's review against another edition

4.0

Fun tale about an animal race. I appreciated the author's note about the origin of the tale. He shares a little about the nature of storytelling and how each storyteller adds a part of themselves to the story.

sydneycarr's review against another edition

funny lighthearted reflective

Turtle's Race with Beaver by Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac, published in 2003. Age level: 1st-3rd grade. This story is a representation of hard work and compassion for those around us. The turtle in this story has been at their pond for their whole live, and loved the environment. During the winter, while turtle was hibernating, a beaver came along and made a massive dam for themselves. The pond's environment was completely changed in the spring when turtle came back, but beaver was stubborn and did not want to compromise. The beaver insisted on racing across the pond and whoever won would be able to stay there. The turtle ended up outsmarting the beaver and won the race, and beaver had to find a new home. Beaver found another nearby pond with another turtle living in it, and the turtle welcomed beaver with open arms. In my classroom, this book would be used as a lighthearted story that would teach my students about compassion towards each other and helpfulness. I think that students will respond well to the lightheartedness of the story, but also they will be interested in the illustrations and plot to resonate with the lesson.