Hop & Trot by Headline Books / Zoom Into Books

The Tortoise and the Hare with an Italian flare! Mr. Tartaruga (which means turtle in Italian) and Mr. O’Hara, better known as Hop and Trot, have both aged considerably but are still very young at heart. They decide to race each other once again on the beautiful coastal shores of Italy. Who will win this time? See you at the finish line! “Diana Walker’s Hop and Trot is new telling of an ancient tale and a sweet reminder of the value of friendship.” —Francene Kirk, Ed.D. Director, Frank and Jane Gabor WV Folklife Center “Perfect in every way this book is sure to elicit excitement and curiosity. This beautifully illustrated, well-written tale will inspire young readers to always believe in themselves.” —Eliot Parker, Award winning Author Professor University of Mississippi HOP AND TROT

“An intriguing book with a surprise ending, this story provides comfort.” —Phyllis Wilson Moore, Literary Historian “This is a charming tale of a friendly competition between animal friends. Hop and Trot will have you laughing and cheering for the underdog. The lessons learned at the end of the race though will leave you smiling and warm your heart.” —Gina Lodge-DeLorenzo, Marion County Board of Education Curriculum & Instruction ELA Coordinator

Diana Pishner Walker was born in Clarksburg, WV and is the

Diana Pishner Walker

daughter of the late Louis and Anna Allessio Pishner. She attended Notre Dame High School in Clarksburg, WV and graduated in 1977. She attended Fairmont State College, Fairmont WV and was a “Fast ForWord” computer aide at East Dale Elementary School. Diana resides in Fairmont, WV with her family. Her Italian roots run deep. Her maternal grandparents were from San Giovani in Fiore, Province of Cosenza, Italy. Her paternal grandparents were from Caulonia, Reggio Calabria Italy. She is the author of five award-winning books, Spaghetti & Meatballs: Growing Up Italian, The Christmas Feast: A Fishy Tale, and the Hopping to America Series. For more information visit DianaPishnerWalker.com.

Diana Pishner Walker

Hop and Trot A Tale of old friends by Diana Pishner Walker illustrated by Headline Kids Group copyright ©2022 Diana Pishner Walker All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents, except where noted otherwise, are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any other resemblance to actual people, places or events is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any other form or for any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage system, without written permission from Headline Books. To order additional copies of this book, or for book publishing information, or to contact the author: Headline Kids P. O. Box 52 Terra Alta, WV 26764 Email: mybook@headlinebooks.com www.headlinebooks.com Lucas Kelly—Design/Layout Published by Headline Books Headline Kids is an imprint of Headline Books ISBN-13: 9781951556976 Library of Congress Control Number:

PR I N T E D I N T H E U N I T E D STAT E S OF A M E R IC A

This book is dedicated to my two very special granddaughters. This book is also dedicated to my classmates from Notre Dame High School in Clarksburg WV, class of “1977”, truly my oldest and dearest friends.

On the shores of a very beautiful beach in the country of Italy lived a family of turtles, the Tartaruga’s (which means turtle in Italian), and their children and their children’s children. Each day the turtle family enjoyed long slow walks together on the beach.

There also lived not far from the beach in a wooded area a family of bunnies, the O’Hara’s. There were many, many bunnies in their family. One hot summer day, Mr. Tartaruga was taking his daily walk on the beach before all the human visitors began to arrive when he heard Mr. O’Hara call to him from the shore. “Mr. Tartaruga!! Why don’t we have a race today?”

“No, Mr. O’Hara, the same answer I give you every day!” said Mr. Tartaruga.”We are too old to even think about such a thing.” “Who are you calling old?” Mr. O’Hara asked. “I know I can still beat you!”

“Very well, I will race you tomorrow at sunrise,” Mr. Tartaruga answered. “Yes, it’s been way too long. The O’Hara family will all be here to cheer me on to a win once more!” shouted Mr. O’Hara. Mr. Tartaruga replied, “The Tartarugas will be here, too.”

The next day, the morning sun was beginning to rise and all one could see were the O’Hara bunnies for miles. It was such a large family.

The turtles slowly began to line the shores.

In the distance, on a post out in the water, stood Sully Seagull. He had volunteered to be at the finish line to judge the race.

Mr. Tartaruga watched as Mr. O’Hara opened a sun umbrella and carefully placed it in the sand. He opened a beach chair lined with a beach towel. He turned on his radio and sat down to make himself quite comfortable. Opening a picnic basket, he took out some carrots to snack on and began to sip on a cup of carrot juice. Mr. Tartaruga slowly shook his head in disbelief and thought to himself, some things never change.

Mr. O’Hara called to Mr. Tartaruga as he pointed, “Mr. Tartaruga, go ahead and start from there.” The bunnies had drawn a line in the sand. “Did you hear me? You can begin the race. I will be along shortly. I’ll see you at the finish line!” “Are you going to do this again? Did you not learn your lesson from years ago?” Mr. Tartaruga asked. Mr. O’Hara laughed, “Go on, I’ll see you when I pass you down there by Sully.”

Mr. Tartaruga slowly began to trot down the beach. He turned around several times, but Mr. O’Hara was still in his beach chair and had fallen asleep.

All of the bunnies began to call to Mr. O’Hara to wake up and get moving as Mr. Tartaruga was nearing the finish line. But Mr. O’Hara did not hear so well anymore and didn’t hear anything but the calming beach waves.

Mr. Tartaruga arrived at the finish line and as he started to go across the line (drawn by more bunnies), he stopped and looked back once more. Mr. O’ Hara’s snoring is all the heard.

Finally, Mr. O’Hara woke up and saw Mr. Tartaruga waiting for him at the finish line.

He was surprised Mr. Tartaruga had not crossed over to claim the championship once and for all. He hopped down to the finish line and looked slowly at Mr. Tartaruga as he said, “ Why did you not cross the line?” Mr. Tartaruga answered, “Mr. O’Hara, we were friends many years ago. When we were in school, our friends called us Hop and Trot! Do you remember? What has happened to our friendship over the years?”

They both began to smile and they crossed the finish line together. Sully called out, “It’s a tie!” Hop and Trot were friends again for many years to come.

Do You Know The Answers? • What does Tartaruga mean in Italian? • Where did the O’Hara bunnies live? • When did Mr. Tartaruga take his daily walks? Where did he walk? • What did Mr. O’Hara want Mr. Tartaruga to do? • Who was the judge of the race? • Why do you think Mr. O’Hara did not start the race the same time as Mr. Tartaruga? • Why did Mr. O’Hara not hear the other bunnies? • Why did Mr. Tartaruga not cross the finish line when he first got there? • Who won the race? • Describe Mr. Tartaruga and Mr. O’Hara’s friendship. Think about your friendships with your friends today. Are any of your friends like Mr. Tartaruga or Mr. O’Hara?

Diana Pishner Walker was born in Clarksburg, WV and is the

Diana Pishner Walker