There’s Nothing Faster than a Cheetah, by Tom Nicoll/Illustrated by Ross Collins, (Dec. 2023, Kane Miller), $15.99, ISBN: 9781684647958
Ages 4-7
This uproarious race tale tips its hat to Aesop’s classic fable, The Hare and the Tortoise, while putting a new spin on the hilarity. A cheetah and a snail are set to race, and the narrator tells readers not to have high expectations: “…there’s NOTHING faster than a cheetah!” “Nothing?” “NOTHING.” The race begins, and a laugh-out-loud parade of alliterative animal contestants show up as the story posits whether such wonders could compete: “Not a rhino on roller skates?” “Penguins on pogo sticks?” “What about a hippo on a hang glider?” Meanwhile, attentive readers will notice that the snails are up to something, leading toward a reveal that will delight everyone. The question-and-answer format will make for a fun and interactive read-aloud and alliteration plays with language in a way that invites readers to think of their own animal combinations. Endpapers feature the animals mentioned in the story, and their relative speeds. Bright and colorful illustration shows animals with amusing and dramatic expressions and inventive combinations. A fun addition to storytime collections.
Mom Read It 