Great Book, Great Connections

Bruchac, Joseph, and James Bruchac. 2004. RACCOON’S LAST RACE. Ill. by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0803729774

This traditional tale exemplifies a classic fable with a strong moral core. Kirkus Reviews called it “a lively, clever, and authentic version of his story” (Kirkus 2004). I had never come across this story before, but I'm glad I did.

According to the tale, the raccoon was once the fastest of all the animals. No matter what animal he challenged to a race, he always won. The problem was that this raccoon, named Azban, gloated in his victories and teased the other animals. Soon, all the animals stopped wanting to race, and Azban resorted to terrifying them from the trees. He finally manages to locate a racing partner: a giant rock at the top of a tall mountain. Azban pushes the rock down the mountain to start the race, and in the middle of his taunting, he trips and the rock lands on him. Though he asks for help, “One by one just about every animal in the forest passed him by.” Azban finally finds some helpful friends with a group of ants, but he squanders their goodwill and shakes them off before they have a chance to finish stretching him out. That is why his legs are short today, and the reason why he is no longer the fastest animal.

Azban the raccoon dominates all the other animals with his speed, but his hubris is his downfall. Operating in the classic pour quoi style, the story tells how pride does indeed come before the fall, and why raccoons are the way we know them today. Not only does Azban come into conflict with every other animal, he even comes into conflict with the rock. The real conflict is ultimately with himself, and his inability to express gratitude to his ant friends is his final undoing. The theme centers on the value of friendship, and avoiding being overly prideful. The simple illustrations mirror what is a very accessible and relatable cautionary tale. The changing background color of the sky creates a sense of action and movement that helps propel the story forward. The illustrators do a tremendous job of capturing the wide range of emotions expressed by Azban: pride, fear, anger, helplessness, and sadness. One critique I have is that the illustrations of the rock don’t really match the august term used to describe it, which is “Grandfather.”

My daughters both liked the story, and my five-year-old asked me if it was a true story. I did my best to explain the idea of a pour quoi tale (without using that term). She seemed to understand, but she had a hard time conceiving of how the ants were able to stretch Azban back out after being crushed by the rock. I told her I felt the same way. A few days later, though, we saw a single ant carrying a ladybug across the parking lot at her preschool. I told her that ants were very strong, and maybe that’s how they stretched out the raccoon at the end of this story. I could almost see the light come on above her head as she said “Oh, yeah!” It was a great connection that brought together a folk tale, nature, and a father and daughter. I’m very glad I chose to read this book with her and that we could share in a process of discovery together.

Kirkus. 2004. Kirkus Reviews 72(20). October 15. Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database, Texas Woman’s University. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:4529/index.php/bookdetail/index?page=1&pos=0&isbn=9780803729773