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The Hare and the Tortoise and other Fables of La Fontaine
These elegant humorous fables will keep children entertained while teaching them important lessons.
For this collection, award-winning translator Ranjit Bolt has chosen the best of La Fontaine's fables, presenting each entry in a lyrical, witty and lighthearted verse. Equally captivating is the art of illustrator Giselle Potter, who has interpreted each story with the whimsical charm that has won her many admirers.
For this collection, award-winning translator Ranjit Bolt has chosen the best of La Fontaine's fables, presenting each entry in a lyrical, witty and lighthearted verse. Equally captivating is the art of illustrator Giselle Potter, who has interpreted each story with the whimsical charm that has won her many admirers.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2006
About the author
Jean de la Fontaine
2,498 books286 followersFrench writer Jean de la Fontaine collected the stories of Aesop and other persons in his
Fables
(1668-1694).
French literary figures, including Molière and Jean de la Fontaine, gathered at Auteuil, a favorite place.
People most widely read the famous poet Jean de la Fontaine of the 17th century.
According to Gustave Flaubert, only this poet understood and mastered the texture of the language before Victor Marie Hugo. A set of postage stamps, issued in 1995, celebrates la Fontaine. Jean de La Fontaine, le défi , a film, released in April 2007, starred Lorànt Deutsch of his life.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_de...
French literary figures, including Molière and Jean de la Fontaine, gathered at Auteuil, a favorite place.
People most widely read the famous poet Jean de la Fontaine of the 17th century.
According to Gustave Flaubert, only this poet understood and mastered the texture of the language before Victor Marie Hugo. A set of postage stamps, issued in 1995, celebrates la Fontaine. Jean de La Fontaine, le défi , a film, released in April 2007, starred Lorànt Deutsch of his life.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_de...
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 24, 2025
A fun, accessible book that I look forward to reading to my grandchildren.
March 17, 2010
"The Hare and the Tortoise and Other Fables of La Fontaine" offered a different variation of the fables that I have read in the past.
I have read the original "Tortoise and the Hare" fable. This particular version was a little different in more than just the title. First of all, everything was rhymed throughout the four pages of the fable, something I have not seen before. Also, this story was a much shorter version of the story than I had read in the past. The book also included other fables, many of which I was unfamiliar with. They all included the same format, rhyming and short, as with "The Hare and the Tortoise". There were nineteen stories in all. There was also a very interesting introduction in the beginning of the book that gives some great details as far as what a fable is and how fables started.
I have read the original "Tortoise and the Hare" fable. This particular version was a little different in more than just the title. First of all, everything was rhymed throughout the four pages of the fable, something I have not seen before. Also, this story was a much shorter version of the story than I had read in the past. The book also included other fables, many of which I was unfamiliar with. They all included the same format, rhyming and short, as with "The Hare and the Tortoise". There were nineteen stories in all. There was also a very interesting introduction in the beginning of the book that gives some great details as far as what a fable is and how fables started.
March 22, 2010
The Hare and the Tortoise By: Ranjit Bolt, ISBN 1905236549, 2006. The Tortoise (turtle) makes a bet with the Hare (rabbit) that he can make it to the tree before him. The Hare surely agrees, but instead of running and winning the race quickly the Hare takes a nap, ate some grass, let time pass, all along the Tortoise won the race slowly but surely.
**This story id old but never goes out of style....slow and steady wins the race....A lesson that can be passed on to many....
**This story id old but never goes out of style....slow and steady wins the race....A lesson that can be passed on to many....
October 3, 2010
Age: 1st grade-4th grade
Media: Acrylic paint
Illustrator Style: somewhat expressionistic
Translated from the selected fables of Jean de La Fontaine, Bolt provides a unique more contemporary appeal to children of today while (somewhat) maintaining rhyme and meter. At moments, it can be hard to read through, so make sure parents read over once before reading to children.
Media: Acrylic paint
Illustrator Style: somewhat expressionistic
Translated from the selected fables of Jean de La Fontaine, Bolt provides a unique more contemporary appeal to children of today while (somewhat) maintaining rhyme and meter. At moments, it can be hard to read through, so make sure parents read over once before reading to children.
February 28, 2012
Found the illustrations to be appealing and colorful and I enjoyed the rhyming renditions of these classic fables.
January 8, 2018
Very nicely done. Full color pages; text is well set off by interesting illustrations evoking Fontaine's period (1600's). Translation by Ranjit Bolt tells the fables of Fontaine in witty, rhyming (often iambic) couplets. Introduction gives a good background, including that Fontaine drew his fables from Aesop and others, including a translation of a collection known as the "Panchatantra". Also noted is that Fontaine's French version was poetic, ". . . for the quality of his writing and the brilliance of his wit, La Fontaine has to be the king."). This book is one of my favorites.
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November 8, 2018The Hare and the Tortoise: And other Fables of La Fontaine is a book of fables translated from the writings of La Fontaine. La Fontaine wrote these fables in the 1600's, and they are based on the Pachatantra of India and the fables of Aesop. These poems are rhyming and contain morals. The book contains 19 poems, mostly about animals, and the translator took some "poetic license" to make the poems more friendly to today's readers.
The poems are in the style traditional literature, with 2 dimensional characters, rhyming lines, personified talking animals, and the teaching of morals.
In a classroom, I would use this book in many ways. This book could be used for students 1st through 6th grade. For first graders, I would use it as a means of introducing them to traditional literature. The simplicity of the language makes it appropriate for students, and the rhyming could also be used as a teaching tool. In older grades, I would use this as a means of showing that traditional literature can take many forms and can be modified for different consumption. I would likely use this book as inspiration for a writing project for students to make a poem of their own from a piece of literature.
The poems are in the style traditional literature, with 2 dimensional characters, rhyming lines, personified talking animals, and the teaching of morals.
In a classroom, I would use this book in many ways. This book could be used for students 1st through 6th grade. For first graders, I would use it as a means of introducing them to traditional literature. The simplicity of the language makes it appropriate for students, and the rhyming could also be used as a teaching tool. In older grades, I would use this as a means of showing that traditional literature can take many forms and can be modified for different consumption. I would likely use this book as inspiration for a writing project for students to make a poem of their own from a piece of literature.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews