About This Book
Reach for this book when you want to spark a conversation about the value of hard work or when your child is navigating a situation where they feel at a disadvantage. This clever folktale follows Hare, who is in a financial pinch and strikes a series of gardening deals with his wealthy, lazy neighbor, Bear. Through quick thinking and a bit of trickery, Hare ensures his family gets the nutritious parts of the crops while Bear is left with the scraps. It is a humorous entry point for discussing fairness, the consequences of laziness, and how creativity can help someone overcome difficult circumstances. Perfect for children ages 4 to 9, this story uses slapstick humor and vibrant illustrations to celebrate resilience and wit.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
Parents may want to be prepared to discuss the historical context of these tales as tools for survival and resistance.
Ideal Reader
A preschooler or elementary student who loves physical comedy, gardening, or stories where the underdog wins. It is especially great for a child who feels small or powerless and needs to see that brains can beat brawn.
Parent Prep
While the plot is simple, parents might want to glance at the author's note regarding the story's origins in African American folklore to better answer questions from older children. Be prepared to discuss whether Hare's trickery is fair or if it is a justified response to Bear's laziness. A parent might reach for this after seeing their child struggle with a lack of motivation or after a playground incident where their child had to outthink a bossy peer.
Age Experience
Younger children (4-6) will find the visual gag of the crops and the physical layout of the book (opening vertically) delightful. Older children (7-9) will better grasp the socio-historical context of the trickster tale and the irony of Bear's choices.
What Makes It Special
The book's unique vertical orientation mimics the growth of plants, and its roots in African American trickster traditions give it a historical depth that many standard animal fables lack.
Read plot summary
Hare, having lost his land to a risky bet, must find a way to feed his hungry family. He strikes a deal with his neighbor, a wealthy and lazy Bear, to farm Bear's land and split the profits. Hare offers Bear the choice of the tops or the bottoms of the harvest. When Bear chooses tops, Hare plants root vegetables like carrots and radishes. When Bear switches to bottoms, Hare plants corn and broccoli. Eventually, Hare tricks Bear into choosing both the tops and bottoms, while Hare takes the middle (the corn). The story ends with Bear learning to do his own work and Hare opening a successful vegetable stand.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Do you think Hare was being mean to Bear, or was he just being smart? Why?
2
Bear chose to sleep while Hare did all the work. How did that choice affect what Bear got to eat?
3
If you were Bear, what would you have done differently after the first harvest?
4
Hare used his wits to help his family. Can you think of a time when you used your brain to solve a tricky problem?
5
Why do you think the author chose to have this book open from top to bottom instead of side to side?
