In this modern retelling of the classic fable, Hare makes a bet with Tortoise that he can reach New York City first. They set off from England heading east, with Tortoise opting for a leisurely cruise and Hare choosing various modes of transportation, from cars to hot-air balloons to camels. In the end, of course, "Poor Hare, he was sadly deflated./It turned out that speed was overrated./So the moral of the story will stay./Slow and steady wins the day!" Jay's unique illustrations-alkyd paint with crackle-glaze varnish-provide life to this tale, recording Hare's travel woes, from barely escaping alligators to a fender-bender, with quieter insets showing Tortoise's trip for contrast. The stunning art, however, cannot redeem the mediocre text, presented in a tedious rhyme. In the end, Aesop's moral itself becomes murky, as the hare loses not because of his own boastfulness, but because he has chosen unreliable modes of transportation. Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.