1985? The Tortoise and the Hare/Hill of Fire. Reading Rainbow. TH: illustration by Janet Stevens. Narrated by Gilda Radner. Hosted by Levar Burton. Hill of Fire: Author Thomas P. Lewis. Illustrator Joan Sandin. Hosted by Levar Burton. Stamford, CT: Children's Video Library 1555. $9.50 from George Minkalis, Round Lake, IL, through Ebay, Nov., '00.
This is a complex video that brings together many things, even within the separate stories that it presents. Burton is training for a bicycle race, and the story supports him. Little children give various morals. The whole TH segment lasts perhaps twelve minutes. The TH segment proper within that uses stills from Stevens' book. The one time that I notice something done perhaps for the video presentation occurs when the sleeping rabbit opens his eye.
2008 The Tortoise and the Hare: The Rematch of the Century. DVD. The Jim Henson Company. Alliance Films: The Weinstein Company. 76 minutes.
Here is a feature film using the voices of Jay Leno, Dannuy Glover, and others. Special features include "How to Draw a Character" and "The Making of Tortoise vs. Hare." I thoroughly enjoyed watching the whole animated feature. It pits the families, now neighbors, against each other in the "Mount Impossible Adventure Race" fifteen years after Walter Tortoise beat Murray Hare. Murray keeps running into the dreaded "Slow and steady wins the race" statement. The adventure race has many twists and turns, including a surprise winner. The start and finish are provided by two stork sports announcers, Rex and Bob, who report throughout. Good fun, based on the fable. Part of a trilogy including "Goldilocks" and "Three Pigs and a Baby."
1930? 7" white plate from Sarreguemines, France. Inside a 1.5" rim there is a representation of Grandville's TH. The front carries two inscriptions: "Fables de la Fontaine" and "9. Le Lievre et la Tortue." The back has a "Digoin" stamp.
The tortoise is just crossing a visible finish wire as the hare, with head averted to the side, tries to overtake him. A mouse is perched on a rock at the finish line.
1930? 7" white plate from Sarreguemines, France. Inside a 1.5" rim there is a portrayal of TH. The front carries two inscriptions: "Fables de la Fontaine" and "Le Lievre et la Tortue." The back has, in sketchy form, "Fables de la Fontaine" and "Digoin/Sarreguemines, France." $20 from Dany Wolfs, Roesalare, Belgium, Sept., '00. One extra exemplar.
The conception of the scene here has, by contrast with other plates in the series, nothing to do with Grandville's original. The plate presents a dark and busy scene. The scene itself, and particularly the tortoise are not easy to take in. A mouse perches clumsily at the upper right.
1990 Landscape colored painting greeting card. The front shows a dressed female hare riding supine and perhaps asleep on a large tortoise. Above them is written "Enjoy the slow times, they are a gift." Blank inside. Paris Bottman. Lithographed in USA. Salt Lake City, UT: Bottman Design 125 30132. Gift, '94.
Even if it is a run-on sentence with a comma splice, it is a wonderful sentiment! The languid posture of the hare is perfect for this scene and message.
