Michelle Arnett's Book Reviews: Raccoon's Last Race

Raccoon's Last Race

told by Joseph Bruchac & James Bruchac

Illistrations by Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey

Joseph Bruchac has authored over 100 books for children and adults. A few awards given to Bruchac are: the Cherokee Nation Prose Award, the Knickerbocker Award and the Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children's Literature. Joseph collaborated with his eldest son, James, when writing Raccoon's Last Race. Jose Aruego (1932-2012) authored/illustrated over 80 books for children with his wife, Ariane Dewey.

Raccoon's Last Race tells a fast moving, Abenaki story of a raccoon named Azban who has very long legs and can run faster than all of his friends. Azban races a bear, fox, rabbit, and even a big rock that ends up squashing him flat to the ground. Because of his arrogant attitude, none of the animals will help him. Azban finally gets help from a colony of ants who help put him back into shape, as long as he promises to always be their friend. Unfortunately the raccoon appreciatively brushes them off before they are done and he ends up with short, squatty legs.

Raccoon's Last Race is a folktale, which is an imaginary story that tells a simple truth about life. As Dr. Vardell explains, folktales contain special conventions and motifs, often with formulaic beginnings and endings, strong repetition and rhythm in the language, and a bit of magic and exaggeration (pg. 82). The main character displays a negative attitude by taunting the other characters and is a representation for children of how not to act. The primary theme is to be humble, kind and to keep promises.

The authors use onomatopoeia (Zip-zip! and ka-boom!) throughout the story as well as some short poems that are sung by Azban to his animal friends. His rhyming poem goes like this:

"Hee hee hee, look at me.

I am Azban, I am fast.

Look at you, ho ho ho!

You are very,very slow."

The illustrations with bright and different colored backgrounds bring life to the tale. The illustrators use lines to portray movement and the character's facial expressions really depict their emotions.