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bwluvs2read's review
4.0
With cheetah-like legs and a smile as crafty as any fox, Azban the Raccoon is not built like today’s raccoons. In this retelling of a traditional Native American tale, the Trickster rules the roost, racing and taunting the other animals at every turn. When they grow tired of Raccoon’s poor sportsmanship, Azban seeks out a new challenger, a rock who replies to the raccoon’s taunts, saying “I do not travel. I just sit here.” Determined to win another race, Azban helps the rock roll down the mountainside and then zips out in front to taunt his opponent just like always. However, Azban’s confidence surely becomes his downfall as a misstep causes a monumental SPLAT! Flat as a pancake, Azban ultimately spurns the help of the ants before they can help piece him back together properly, making him a regular, squatty, pondering raccoon.
Joseph and James Bruchac’s Raccoon’s Last Race has personal as well as cultural significance. These authors seek to imbue this delightful picture book with the Abenaki tradition “of using stories rather than physical punishment as a means of disciplining children.” Utilizing the Trickster archetype, “a human or animal who deliberately tries to deceive or cause trouble for others, but often ends up as the victim of his own actions,” these authors offer a wide variety of moralistic themes that are rife with lessons for young readers: beware of being overconfident, taunting others is shameful, and rejecting help can have irreversible consequences. Using humor, vibrant action, and language meant to reach the ears and hearts of audiences, Raccoon’s Last Race is a fable of fearsome proportions.
The illustrations of Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey are the perfect compliment to this tale. Bright and flashy, with loud colors, dynamic lines, and comical details, the images are just as boastful and ambitious as Raccoon himself. While the text’s rhythm, onomatopeias, and quippy dialogue will be a favorite at any read aloud, the illustrations truly add another layer to the story. Particularly amusing are the expressions on the animals’ faces are they are taunted by Azban only to leave him in the dust on the final page.
Some elements - such as Raccoon’s initial appearance and the rock’s role in the community as “Grandfather” - may be confusing to young readers, making a brief explanation of the tale’s cultural significance necessary. Allowing for questions or reading the authors’ note to older audiences will provide the information needed for the story’s true meaning to shine through. Readers of Aesop’s Fables and Kipling’s Just So Stories will learn from and adore Raccoon’s Last Race.
Joseph and James Bruchac’s Raccoon’s Last Race has personal as well as cultural significance. These authors seek to imbue this delightful picture book with the Abenaki tradition “of using stories rather than physical punishment as a means of disciplining children.” Utilizing the Trickster archetype, “a human or animal who deliberately tries to deceive or cause trouble for others, but often ends up as the victim of his own actions,” these authors offer a wide variety of moralistic themes that are rife with lessons for young readers: beware of being overconfident, taunting others is shameful, and rejecting help can have irreversible consequences. Using humor, vibrant action, and language meant to reach the ears and hearts of audiences, Raccoon’s Last Race is a fable of fearsome proportions.
The illustrations of Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey are the perfect compliment to this tale. Bright and flashy, with loud colors, dynamic lines, and comical details, the images are just as boastful and ambitious as Raccoon himself. While the text’s rhythm, onomatopeias, and quippy dialogue will be a favorite at any read aloud, the illustrations truly add another layer to the story. Particularly amusing are the expressions on the animals’ faces are they are taunted by Azban only to leave him in the dust on the final page.
Some elements - such as Raccoon’s initial appearance and the rock’s role in the community as “Grandfather” - may be confusing to young readers, making a brief explanation of the tale’s cultural significance necessary. Allowing for questions or reading the authors’ note to older audiences will provide the information needed for the story’s true meaning to shine through. Readers of Aesop’s Fables and Kipling’s Just So Stories will learn from and adore Raccoon’s Last Race.
thecozyarchivist's review
5.0
Very cute story that focuses on the consequences of being arrogant and breaking promises.
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