ALA Booklist (Mon Jun 05 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In this fun nod to Aesop's fable, a cute tortoise with an expressive little mouth and extremely long lashes belongs to a gung-ho little girl who has signed him up for a race. The girl puts the tortoise on a training regimen that doesn't seem likely to succeed. For example, on Monday, the tortoise, trying to hurry through the park, is overtaken by a worm; on Tuesday, by a toddler just learning to walk; and on Thursday, by a boy's remote-controlled brachiosaurus. The girl encourages the frustrated tortoise to just run its own race. The race venue is filled with jungle animals, with the tortoise competing in a group of other slow creatures, including a snail and a sloth. Though the tortoise wins, readers may miss the punch of Aesop's having the tortoise pull off an upset victory by sheer plodding pluck, with the hare losing by arrogance, and the bracing moral of "Slow and steady wins the race." But the vibrant mixed-media illustrations enhance the story with comic details.

Kirkus Reviews

Believing in yourself helps when the odds seem stacked against you, as exemplified in this clever tale.Barbara Hendricks, a self-described "regular leopard tortoise," is seriously perturbed. Her owner and best friend, Lorraine, has done the unthinkable and entered her in a fun run against other animals. Why? Because, as it happens, Lorraine believes in her pet. "I've never seen a faster tortoise than you, Barbara Hendricks." Barbara is skeptical, but that doesn't stop Lorraine from initiating a training sequence straight out of Rocky. At first the small shelled creature is depressed by her chances (being beaten while out for a practice run by an absent-minded worm doesn't help). But on the big day, she realizes that if she doesn't even try, she'll never know if the training was worth anything. Kids will get a big laugh when they see Barbara's less-than-speedy competitors (the slow loris is a particularly nice touch), and her eventual triumph is complemented by a surprise ending that will delight Aesop-savvy kids. Mixed-media art brings Barbara's pathos to brilliant life (who knew a tortoise could emote?), and any child who has faced a seemingly impossible task will relate to Barbara right to the end. Consider pairing alongside Carrie Finison's Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time for School (2022), which features an equally dedicated protagonist. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Slow and steady? Call this tortoise shell-bent and dedicated. A charmer. (Picture book. 3-6)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Anyone who has optimistically signed up for a fun run will see themselves in friendly faced Barbara Hendricks, the “regular leopard tortoise” who narrates this sweetly rendered variation on Aesop’s “The Tortoise and the Hare.” Barbara is a bundle of nerves ahead of the big day, but she has a champion, too—“my owner and best friend, Lorraine,” a bespectacled child portrayed with brown skin—who believes in her unconditionally. Lorraine leads Barbara through a crash-training regimen (they’re overtaken by “an absentminded worm” and a newly walking toddler). And on game day, the child encourages the tortoise to “just run your own race.” Though Barbara spies a snail, a slow loris, and a sloth (“the fastest animals I’ve ever seen!”) at the starting line, her strategy of putting one foot in front of the other, again and again, pays off. Calvert (Lots of Frogs) creates a lovable everytortoise via Barbara’s entertaining account, nodding to the original fable with the appearance of a new, long-eared challenger at book’s end. In moving mixed-media images of expressive figures and bustling townsfolk portrayed with various skin tones, Obuhanych (This Little Kitty) delivers visual laughs and creates a tortoise to root for. Ages 3–7. (Apr.)

School Library Journal (Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

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. VERDICT With a funny twist that story hour listeners will love—a hare challenges Barbara to a race—this book packs a lot of great lessons into a charming story, and is certainly one to add to the sports shelves, or the good sports shelves. Recommended.— John Scott