The Fastest Tortoise in Town

Gr 1-4–Surprised by her own spontaneous act, Barbara Hendricks has signed up for a running race. Barbara is a leopard tortoise and really isn’t sure why she signed up to run against other animals. Filled with self-doubt, she is fortunate to have an owner and best friend, Lorraine, who believes in her. Together they spend the week training for the race. Multiple panels filled with colorful and humorous mixed media illustrations capture Barbara’s hard efforts to prepare for the race despite the fact that everything is faster than she is. Race day comes and, with the encouragement of her friend, Barbara steps up to the starting line. Her competition, it turns out, is a collection of some of the slowest animals in the world, including a snail, a slow loris, and a sloth. Multiple panels “speed” the race along and the action is gripping as Barbara just tries her hardest. Surprisingly, even to herself, she accomplishes her goal: she finishes the race! Even more shockingly, she wins. 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.