A new take on the classic Aesop tale, The Tortoise and the Hare. Except this time we have more overt personality themes woven in. Tortoise suffers from being anxious about doing things; are they prepared enough? And Hare suffers from FOMO; wanting to rush into everything without preparation. Together they make a good pair to take a journey with. We learn value from each of them.
From Tortoise we learn that it’s lovely to be prepared with a picnic, supplies in general, and a plan on where to go and what to do.
From Hare we learn that if you only talk about doing something or you put it off all the time (hence, what’s the rush?) you might never get to doing it. And the doing is what allows you to have an amazing experience!

My husband is the Hare and I am the Tortoise. Over the last 15 years we have adapted and found one another’s strengths. I connected with this story right away because of this obvious comparison to my own life.

All that said, I have docked 1 star here because I felt like Tortoise’s reaffirmation (for a new adventure) to Hare on “Whats the rush?” at the end of the story was really the author indicating that Hare was more right or made better choices than Tortoise. I completely disagree with this sentiment and it put me off as I closed the book. Reading it twice more I still found that last page to be off putting. Maybe because I am a strategic and careful planner?

I do hope that children don’t get the idea that it’s better to just do things and potentially be unsafe, hungry or just generally unprepared as I think that is a mistake. I hope the takeaway here, and adults can always help with this, is that there are good points to each personality and when they work together they can do amazing things!

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Thank you to the author, Princeton Architectural Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This retelling of the well-known fable of the tortoise and the hare is a great reset into more modern times. The children I read this with loved the chill of the tortoise - and how both worked together to overcome various challenges along the way. Lots of good things to learn here, about friendship, teamwork, accepting differences. The illustrations were a wonderful complement to the text - timeless and appealing.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

What's the Rush? is a beautiful retelling of the beloved story of the Hare and the Tortoise by Aesops Fable. The illustrations are so sweet and capture the essence of the story so well.
In this story we follow the two characters Bunny and Tortoise who are as different as chalk and cheese. Bunny wants everything done here and now and Toulrtoise is really laid back and chilled out about everything. The two are taking a journey together and Bunny gets rather cross with Tortoise for always wanting so much time to do anything. The pair have to learn to work together, compromise and listen to and use each others stills to make it through a bumpy journey full of challenges. This story has such an important moral to it and has made me fall in love with the classic tale all over again.
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A lovely wee story about slowing down and being more mindful/patience. Thanks to the author and publisher for an egalley.

Thanks to Netgalley and Princeton Architectural Press for a free digital copy.

A cute book about the slow planning of turtle and the rushed exuberance of bunny and how they balance each other out. A very charming and fun little read.

Miigweetch NetGalley and Princeton Architectural Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This illustrated children’s book centers on the friendship between Bunny and Turtle, two animals that are opposite in their nature. One day Bunny and Turtle, after much deliberation, decide to climb the nearby mountain. Bunny wants to go right away but Turtle is a planner. The story showcases how this is a conflict and how the two characters deal with their differences.

I really liked the illustrations - they are soft and charming. One detail I believe would have strengthened the story is if there were more clear “tie-ins” to the beginning scene, where Turtle is perceived by Bunny to be dawdling, and later pivotal moments in the story, such as the river crossing. We see some of this with the apples in the boxed lunch and the garden shears for clearing away the vines in the forest, but I think these connections could be made more visually explicit.

I recommend this book for pre-school and elementary libraries. It’s a wholesome story about learning to accept differences, and would make an excellent choice for read-aloud.

This is such a cute story and picture book. Turtle and Bunny plan to go on a hike to the top of the mountain, one day. Bunny is ready to on that hike tomorrow, but will Turtle be ready to go tomorrow too?
This book hit home for me as a hurry up-we don't want to be late-person this was a great reminder that we don't always need to be in a rush.
super cute story with a great message is always a win for in my household. This is a story I'd love having in my home to look back on when the days start feeling rushed.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

This is SO cute and such a great picture book! I am a hurry-up-lets-go person and often have to be reminded that there isn't a rush. In this case, what looks like procrastinating is actually very resourceful!

Turtle & Bunny are the very best of friends. As is often the case with friendships, the two are a bit different. One day, while enjoying the sun & a delicious meal, Turtle gazes at the wondrous mountains that rest easy in the landscape. He tells Bunny that he wants to visit the mountains & Bunny sets him something of a feat—leaving for the mountains tomorrow & no later!

Though Turtle is always one step behind, the adventure proves to be just the thing to allow the friends to see eye to eye. Whereas Bunny was eager to set out on their journey first thing in the morning, Turtle needed a bit of time. I admit that I saw myself in the character of Bunny for a rather daunting number of pages. In all the years of my life, I have always had to practice patience, it never came easy to me.

I appreciated that this story didn’t necessarily highlight one character as being right or wrong but simply brought forth two friends who approach tasks differently. When Bunny loses his cool at having to wait for Turtle to be ready to climb the mountain, the pair head off but soon encounter obstacles that worry Bunny. Thankfully, with Turtle having taken ‘just one more minute’ to prepare, the friends are soon on their way again.

Depending on the reader in question & the moment this book is read, I believe there are ample lessons to be learned. In my case, I am reminded that there isn’t necessarily a rush to moving forward—taking your time is okay. Turtle & Bunny are able to learn something from their journey. One such lesson might be communicating. In Turtle’s case he knew that he was preparing for the long journey ahead & if he had spoken this to Bunny, their tensions might have been eased.

In all, this is a lovely story. The illustrations are flamboyant & enthralling; setting the tone of the warm day, the gentle friendship, & the eagerness to set out on an adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley, Princeton Architectural Press, & Yiting Lee for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Bunny and Turtle plan to hike to the top of a mountain, someday. But Bunny declares TOMORROW is the day. But when Bunny arrives at Turtle's house, he has to wait for Turtle to complete ALL of his chores. This is useless! Except....

A silly story in the "everything has a reason" vein. Turtle's gardening shears help cut through thorns, organizing the library helped Turtle find a map, etc. The lesson is clear, but I have to say, I'm also a bit frustrated, like Bunny. Turtle had ALL YESTERDAY to do all this stuff! Oh well...

Normally I'm very critical of books with a lot of whitespace, but it's done very deliberately, here. It's meant as a contrast, not just a lack of detail, as well as giving space for the text. For example, from the reader's perspective, we see two walls, one in blue and one blank white, making it seem like an accent wall. On another page, a boat rows across a river, and its wake is the whitespace. The hiking path is the whitespace, making it look like chalky clay soil. It's not overdone, just enough space for text and for forming the world around it.

Overall, a cute choice, worth picking up from the library.

Advanced copy provided by the publisher.

This was such a short and sweet book about the power of patience. Bunny is eager to complete different tasks or take action, while Turtle takes his time and reminds Bunny, what's the rush? The illustrations enhance the text, especially as Bunny and Turtle encounter different challenges while climbing the mountain. This would be a great for a storytime!

After completely the book, I realize that the turtle is taking the time to prepare for the trip/adventure. I can appreciate that, because so often one can rush into a situation without considering what is needed. At the beginning of the book, though, it felt like the turtle was putting the rabbit off; really laid back and perhaps lacking interest. I would have like the rabbit to demonstrate some kind of understanding of the turtle's disposition.

A sweet story about two friends who are opposites. Bunny is always on the go, Turtle likes to take his time. In the age of rushing that we live in, this is an important theme to cover with children. That slowing down can sometimes be just the thing we need. The illustrations in this book are delightful. It's a book that should be in your home library.

This is a beautiful tale featuring two best friends... Bunny and Turtle. They are very different in their temperaments and their actions. Bunny wants to get things done pronto while Turtle is laidback, a planner, and much slower to make a move.

The duo decide one day to climb a mountain together. Bunny is all fired up and ready to drop everything and go but Turtle wants to take his time and thoughtfully prepare for the adventure that lies ahead.

Bunny becomes impatient with his friend waiting for their departure and hearing over and over Turtle say... "Hang on just one minute."

He finally loses his cool and cries..."No minutes!" Finally they are on their way. Through some very unfortunate roadblocks on the journey: a river to cross, needing to clarify directions, and having to clear a pathway through some thick bushes Bunny comes to realize the wisdom of planning ahead. Luckily his best friend Turtle has the solution to all these barriers because of his one more minute stategy.

The watercolour illustrations are charming and beautiful. The story teaches young children about the virtues of patience, kindness and friendship. This is a fresh new spin on the classic Aesop's fable: The Tortoise and the Hare. I love the message that the book delivers to young readers and I highly recommend it.

Cute story but I felt like something was missing. Wish there had just been a little more to the story. The illustrations were adorable.

What's the Rush? is a reimagining of Aesop's familiar Tortoise and the Hare. This story has Turtle and Bunny who are best friends. Turtle wants to visit the beautiful mountain. . . one day. Bunny decides that Turtle keeps talking about this journey, but never follows through on actually going to the mountain. Bunny suggests that they both climb the mountain tomorrow. The next morning, Bunny arrives, but Turtle is dawdling and appears to be packing everything but the kitchen sink. When the duo finally begin their adventure, they encounter multiple obstacles along the way and Bunny is unsure what to do. Thank goodness Turtle is prepared so that they both can reach their destination.
This tale teaches the importance of teamwork in a friendship. It also shows the importance of patience and preparation, while showing that sometimes if you want to do something you actually have to get out there and do it. Overall, it was a cute story and would be an excellent extra resource when discussing fables.

A new valuable take on the tortoise & the hare!! What a great lesson in patience and friendship.
At first, we think that turtle is just slow and perhaps a little annoying. He takes soooo long to do just about everything. Then, together with Bunny, we learn to have a little more patience as we find out that turtle is very organized and prepared. Through this story we also find out that while friends can be very different, it's their differences that make friendships so special.
The artwork is joyful and uses a really unique color palate giving the setting a very other worldly feel. The brushstrokes and varying textures of the images in the book give a sense of movement and fluidity. Overall, wonderfully presented!!
Grateful to have received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley & Princeton Architectural Press

#NewKidsBookAlert #KidsLit #Oct2022 @PAPress

This is a variation of the popular tale The Tortoise and The Hare (Aesop's fable). It's a good reminder that there's no need to rush, as the Turtle demonstrates. It shows the reader that it's okay to go at one's own pace. Patience and kindness are key teaching points. The illustrations are inviting and likely to engage the target audience. A touching story that teaches kids valuable lessons.

This picturebook variation of the classic Aesop's fable: The Tortoise and the Hare, reminds readers that there really is no rush. Bunny has many ideas of what to do and short cuts to take but Turtle isn't really in a hurry! Bunny learns about patience and both friends enjoy many adventures, but they go at their own pace. Turtle seems to be extra prepared and has anything the pair could need which is probably a good thing since bunny doesn't seem to like to plan ahead. In a new take on an important story, a new generation of readers can learn about the virtue of patience and kindness for others as we all learn and grow at our own pace. I could definitely see this beautiful picture book in my grade 3 classroom library and would recommend it to parents and teachers of children in the age 3-8 range. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is a great picture book! Two very different friends. Bunny gets turtle moving so they can have adventures. Turtle takes the time to prepare so they have everything they need. A great way to talk about how our differences can lead to great teamwork. The illustrations are fabulous! Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest opinion.