Which Animal is Fastest?

Quick, name the world’s fastest animal! Did you say cheetah? If so, you’re right – sort of. Sure, the cheetah can reach speeds over 70 miles per hour (mph); but did you know that there is a species of bird that can fly faster than a race car? Did you know that that’s not even the fastest animal there is? This “dashing dozen† of nature’s speediest species examines the fastest on land, air, and sea. This story will resonate with children taking standardized tests…one size does not fit all!

This fictional story includes a 4-page For Creative Minds section in the back of the book and a 39-page cross-curricular Teaching Activity Guide online. is vetted by experts and designed to encourage parental engagement. Its extensive back matter helps teachers with time-saving lesson ideas, provides extensions for science, math, and social studies units, and uses inquiry-based learning to help build critical thinking skills in young readers. The Spanish translation supports ELL and dual-language programs. The interactive ebook reads aloud in both English and Spanish with word highlighting and audio speed control to promote oral language skills, fluency, pronunciation, text engagement, and reading comprehension.

Written by Brian Rock, Illustrated by Carolyn Le
32 pg, 8.5 X 10, Ages 4-8, Grades K-3, Lexile: 570, F&P: M

Reviews:

Large and small, land and sea animals, birds and beasts, reptiles and insects: They tell their king the facts about their abilities. Husky says: “I am the fastest over long distances.† Ostrich wants all participants to “run on two legs to be fair to everyone.† A sea turtle thinks that the race should be held in the water, an idea heartily endorsed by a black marlin. A majestic peregrine falcon insists on the sky because these birds fly at 240 miles per hour, but a small free-tailed bat pipes up and says that the race “should be at night!† What’s a wise ruler to do? The king creates “an Olympics† with multiple events.
-Kirkus Reviews

...very highly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library Pets/Wildlife collections.
-Midwest Book Review

Kids love to read books about speed and this book, with its smooth storyline emphasizing working together to come up with a satisfactory conclusion will be a delight to them. The book also includes lots of additional activities for children who want more.
-Readerbuzz

Author/Illustrator Info:

Brian Rock (The Deductive Detective), received a master's degree in Children's Literature/Creative Writing from Hollins University. Brian's short stories for children appear regularly in the regional magazine "Kid's world" and his poems for children have appeared in Highlights for Children, Poetry Train, and various regional publications. His short story, The Frog Dad, was selected as one of the inaugural titles for iPulpFiction's "Don't Read This in the Dark" series. For six years Brian worked in the Chesterfield County public school system teaching at-risk students. Visit Brian's website for more information.

Carolyn Le was born in Viet Nam and grew up in California. She dreamed of becoming an illustrator and, after graduating from Otis College of Art and Design with a BFA in Illustration, she illustrated her first picture book, Clarence and the Traveling Circus. Carolyn's watercolor paintings are a reflection of the beauty she sees around her, from the bright sunny Southern California days to the memories of the books she loved to read as a child. She has received numerous awards for her art and has shown her work in galleries in Los Angeles and London. Carolyn is living her dream (occasionally with a bunny roommate), sharing her love of art with her students, illustrating picture books and exploring writing and illustrating her own books. Visit her website at www.carolynle.com.