Anyone who has optimistically signed up for a fun run will see themselves in friendly faced Barbara Hendricks, the 'regular leopard tortoise' who narrates this sweetly rendered variation on Aesop's 'The Tortoise and the Hare.' . . . Delivers visual laughs and creates a tortoise to root for.
--Publishers Weekly

Believing in yourself helps when the odds seem stacked against you, as exemplified in this clever tale. . . any child who has faced a seemingly impossible task will relate to Barbara, right to the end. . . . Slow and steady? Call this tortoise shell-bent and dedicated. A charmer.
--Kirkus Reviews

In this fun nod to Aesop's fable, a cute tortoise with an expressive little mouth and extremely long lashes belongs to a gung-ho little girl who has signed him up for a race. . . the vibrant mixed-media illustrations enhance the story with comic details.
--Booklist

This ­delightful story has a hero who works hard, accepts her limitations, and perseveres ­despite the odds. Children will root for ­Barbara and hopefully capture some of her can-do spirit and hard work ethic along the way. ­. . this book packs a lot of great lessons into a charming story, and is certainly one to add to the sports shelves, or the good sports shelves.
--School Library Journal