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Bruchac, Joseph and James Bruchac. 2004. RACCOON'S LAST RACE. Ill. by Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780803729773.
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This is a clever little fable about how at one time a raccoon had long legs and was a fast runner, and in fact, he was the fastest of all the animals. He loved to challenge the animals to races, and he would always win, but he was not a gracious winner, and would taunt the others in a very ungraceful manner. Due to this, he was not popular, and the other animals did not want to have anything to do with him. He finally challenges a "rock" to a race, and finds out the hard way that racing a rock is not the best idea, as it leaves him very injured. He has the opportunity to redeem himself in the forest, but he makes a very bad choice and ends up having to live with some dire consequences.
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Joseph Bruchac begins this book with an "author's note" that states that the "Azban the Raccoon" stories are very popular with children in the Abenaki Indian culture. I really liked that this group of people tend to use stories rather than physical punishment as a means of disciplining children. Stories easily illustrate the results of bad behavior. Mr. Bruchac and his son authored this book from listening to a great Abenaki storyteller, their good friend Wolfsong, "whose voice and generosity of spirit are missed by all those who loved him and learned from him." Also, they worked with Abenaki elders in the preparation and publication of this book.
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Joseph and James Bruchac, father and son, are members of the Abenaki Indian culture and feel a deep commitment to the preservation of their culture and language. Knowing this helps the reader to feel the authenticity of the story and to feel that it is an appropriate book to place in a library collection.
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One thing that I learned in selecting books that correctly reflect the Native American culture is that they will follow the rule of 4. In reading this book, I found the "4" and it did seem to fit correctly in the story. Raccoon races 4 times in the story: with bear, fox, rabbit, and rock. He also asked for help after his injury 4 times: from bear, fox, rabbit, and an ant. The idea of 4 is something to look for in authentic Native American stories. Any other number would be incorrect.
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Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey are the two illustrators in this story. The book flap states that they are award-winning artists and have illustrated over seventy books. They used pen-and-ink, gouache, and pastel to create these fun illustrations. There is lots of color and movement on the pages, and the pictures support the story very well. The animals and rocks are drawn in a "cartoon-like" state, and they are very engaging.
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Since this was an animal book, and not a story depicting Native American peoples, I had to really search for some cultural markers in both the text and the illustrations to state that this book was a Native American story. If you had not read the author's notes, the reader may not know it at all. It is a story with an excellent moral that may very well show up in a similar form in other cultures. However, through careful searching I found the following. The name "Azban" tends to lead the reader to the idea that this is not just another animal story. Also, when he approached a large rock on a high mountain, Azban called the rock, "grandfather." Grandfather, are you a fast runner? I am Azban. I am the fastest of all the animals." This title of respect would be correct in a Native American story.
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The cultural markers that I found in the illustrations are the colors that are chosen for the illustrations, with the animals being drawn in browns, blacks, and oranges. The pictures had a nice feel to them and they fit the story nicely.
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If I were using this in a classroom setting, I would pair it with a similar Aesop fable and have the kids compare and contrast the two. Also it would be interesting to give more details on the Abenaki Indian culture and to find other stories about "Azban the Raccoon." Both Mr. Bruchacs state that there are other stories like this, and it would be fun to search the Internet and see what the students could find.
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From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4–A solid retelling of an Abenaki legend. Long ago, Azban the Raccoon was a gifted athlete, but years of terrible sportsmanship have left him almost completely friendless. Having run out of animals to annoy, he finally challenges a large boulder situated atop a hill to a race. To his surprise, the boulder overtakes and flattens him, leaving Azban to beg unsuccessfully for help. After a colony of ants–one of the few creatures whom he had not yet offended–works together to restore some movement to his limbs, Azban impatiently brushes them off and trots away before they can finish the job. Noticing too late that he is still misshapen, and with no one left to take pity on him, he has had to live with his lumbering build ever since. The text reads aloud smoothly and keeps the action moving quickly. Done in pen-and-ink, gouache, and pastel, the illustrations accentuate the humor of the tale. The boldly colored animals are set against softer backgrounds, and occasional close-ups add variety to the scenes. An authors' note provides some background for the story. A strong addition to picture-book collections.–Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC
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