Tortoise vs. Hare - The Rematch! by Preston Rutt and Ben Redlich
| Tortoise vs. Hare - The Rematch! by Preston Rutt and Ben Redlich | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
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| Summary: A hilarious, thrilling and wonderful look at the rematch between the tortoise and the hare. It's got all the energy of a Bugs Bunny cartoon, transferred perfectly to a picture book. Highly recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 24 | Date: February 2010 |
| Publisher: Meadowside | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1845394189 | |
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Harry 'The Hurricane' Hare has been licking his wounds since 'Steady' Eddie Tortoise beat him in the famous race. It's time for a rematch, and Harry's been training hard. Eddie couldn't possibly win again, could he?
I loved Tortoise vs. Hare - The Rematch! It takes a fable everyone knows and loves, gives it a little twist, and cranks up the fun. It's all presented in the style of a TV sports broadcast, with commentators, stats, training highlights and interviews. This makes it both immediately familiar and yet new, fresh and exciting. Everything flows with high energy, exactly as you'd expect a clash of the titans like this to do.
Ben Ridlich's illustrations fit perfectly. They have a wide-eyed and crazy style of their own - they feel like a cartoon or a comic, but still retain the quality that you'd want in a picture book. Every page is packed with detail to pore over, but it's all beautifully woven with the text. Take the energy and humour of a Bugs Bunny cartoon, transfer it perfectly on to the page, and you've got Tortoise vs. Hare.
The vocabulary is as thrilling and dramatic as you'd expect from the best sports commentary, yet still perfectly pitched at its young audience who might never have seen a sporting event in their life. There's pace, tension, drama, thrills, spills, and a heck of a lot of silly humour. There are gags that are crying out to be performed with a goofy voice, and a fun twist right at the end that will always bring giggles. I loved every single page of Tortoise vs. Hare, as you will too. It's one to read, re-read, laugh, re-laugh, and love. Highly recommended.
My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
For other askance looks at fables and fairy tales, check out Little Bo Peep's Troublesome Sheep by Cressida Cowell, Don't Read This Book! by Jill Lewis and Deborah Allwright and The Great Nursery Rhyme Disaster by David Conway and Melanie Williamson. Hurry Up and Slow Down by Layn Marlow is another great look at a tortoise and hare.
Tortoise vs. Hare - The Rematch! by Preston Rutt and Ben Redlich is in the Bookbag's Christmas Gift Recommendations 2010.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Tortoise vs. Hare - The Rematch! by Preston Rutt and Ben Redlich at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Tortoise vs. Hare - The Rematch! by Preston Rutt and Ben Redlich at Amazon.com.
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