In this book, each chapter contained a traditional African American story that contained a lesson or moral. I really liked this book for two reasons. First, I wholeheartedly enjoyed the plot and characters to each chapter story. The main characters were well-developed and the plot was organized in its pace, conflict, and tension. The language of the stories were all very colorful and descriptive. For example, in the story of "A Man Who Could Transform Himself", the story follows the journey of a young man who received magic powers and used it to con villagers. After realizing that he had con a man with a similar gift as him, he learns not to con anyone again. When readers are reading this story, they can following along the character development of the young man and the decisions he makes. Another reason I liked this book was because of the illustrations as they were culturally fitting to each story with bright colors, making them simply fun to look at. Overall, this book is about different lessons as told through the culture of African Americans. ( )

Summary:

Tortoise, Hare, and the Sweet Potatoes", is the a story about a hare that was not the nicest character due to playing pranks, telling riddles, and thinking up ways to outsmart others. The tortoise is the complete opposite who is kind, caring, and goes out of her way to help others when they need it. Their paths cross and all day the hare tried to play tricks and catch up the tortoise with riddles which he cannot do. The hare gets the tortoise to join him in taking sweet potatoes from a mean old farmers field , the hare talks her into splitting up in case of the farmer catching them and takes the potato sack, but unknowing to him the tortoise slipped in the bag when he was not looking. The hare ran off thinking he left her behind when she was actually inside the sack eating all the food, when the hare stopped to get water and reached in the bag to get a sweet potato, the tortoise burst his bubble about the trick he tried to pull and how it backfired on him.

Personal Reaction:

I liked this funny story because it showed that eventually everyone will meet their match if they are not careful. It showed a lesson on the golden rule of treating others how you want to be treated.

Extension Ideas:

1) Have children work in pairs and one draw up their version of how the hare looks and the other on the tortoise
2) Have the children make a poster together of what they think the cover should look like