Raccoon's Last Race

By James Bruchac and Joseph Bruchac

Book Overview

The team behind "How Chipmunk Got His Stripes" retells an Abenaki fable that warns against arrogance and honors the importance of keeping your promises. Azban the Raccoon loves to race on his long legs. He is the fastest of all the animals, but he's also the most conceited, mocking everyone with his speed. When the other animals grow tired of his attitude, Azban chooses Big Rock as his next opponent. Busy taunting instead of running, he trips, and Big Rock flattens him. Only the ants will help stretch him out again--as long as he promises to be their friend. But will a trickster like Azban keep his word? This clever and funny reimagining of a traditional story is for fans of Ed Young's "Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China "and David Wiesner's "The Three Pigs." "Lively, clever, and authentic."--"Kirkus" "The text reads aloud smoothly and keeps the action moving quickly. A strong addition to picture-book collections."--"School Library Journal"

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803729774
• ISBN13: 9780803729773
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Dial
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.4" x 10.4"
• Age Range: 4 years and up
• Grade Range: Preschool and higher

Customer Reviews

A HIT at classroom STORYTIME and BEDTIME ...

This is a REALLY cute book! My kids like it so much that this book is on our most popular bedtime stories. For that reason, I took it in to read to my son's first grade class (as well as another class) ... so, well over 40 kids ... and it was a HIT! It kept ALL of the kids' attention. (No small feat!) Azban the raccoon liked to taunt the other animals into racing him because he had long legs and could ALWAYS win. He showed very poor sportmanship at each of his "wins." Soon, he had no friends that wanted to race him ... that is, until he found a huge boulder rock on the mountain top. I'll let you read the rest. :) It is a really cute story and GREAT for reading aloud to a group of kids.