June 3, 2015
The Aesop’s fable gets a do-over, set this time in Israel. Hare and Tortoise, who are actually friends, race from Tel Aviv, through Jerusalem and then a desert oasis, and all the way to the Dead Sea. The story works as a nice travelogue for Israel, highlighting the sights, sounds, and tastes of the country. The narration is sweet and gently humorous, the illustrations appealing and slightly offbeat. There’s no surprise twist on the moral; it simply serves as a light framework for the story. Recommended for ages 4 – 7.