Books with title The Great Race of the Birds and Animals

Long ago, when the world was still quite new, buffaloes used to eat people. It is true? The hair on their chins is hair of the people they use to eat...It is Terrible to think about those times... But the Creator saw the people's distress and decreed that a contest be held between all the two-legged and four-legged creatures. Who would win, thundering Buffalo or fleet-footed Man? None of the other animals was fast enough, and before the end, Beaver and Muskrat slipped off into a cool stream, Jack-rabbit hopped off across the plain, and Mole and Gopher tunneled underground (and may still think the race is on). The winner was decided long ago, in Sioux and Cheyenne legend. Buffalo -- who lost -- agreed to give up eating men for dinner, and thanks to the cunning of a single magpie, Man became the guardian of the natural world.

When the Animals of the southeastern woodlands challenge the Birds to a game of stickball, two of the smallest Animals are not allowed to play. The Bear, the Deer, and the other big animals think they are too small to compete. In this ancient Cherokee story the little animals find a way to play in the Great Ball Game.This is a story about courage in the face of adversity, the thrill of the game, and the joy of victory. Teaching the virtues of creativity and determination, it takes us to a magical time when the animals talked and wonderful things happened in our world.Murv Jacob's beautiful drawings bring the characters of Cherokee legend to life, and Deborah Duvall's dialogue explains the ceremonial preparations and the rules of stickball, a game integral to Cherokee culture that is played enthusiastically to this day.Visit the authors' website at

The Caramel Tree Readers Level 1 is a delicious series of leveled readers for children ages 5 to 7. It consists of picture books with approximately 200 words relating to key themes to help students learn vocabulary. Many animals take part in a race in which each runs, hops, or jumps its way quickly to its home—except the turtle, who carries his home on its back! This story provides vocabulary for verbs as well as animals and their homes.

Rocky the Otter finds himself in Morro where he meets up with Corky the Cormorant and Sam the Seagull. While reminiscing about their adventure in "The Basking Shark Rescue Team," Rocky comes to realize that he has a role to play in the Great Bird Race, an annual race that Morgan the Merganser described as "the most important athletic event in the history of the world." Rocky, of course, never heard of it. Angelo and his dog, Lovisa, help Rocky and Morgan in his quest to win the race. Alan Marder, who illustrated the Ted L. Nancy "Letters From a Nut" books, again beautifully illustrates this delightful story.