Team Steve — Kelly Collier

It's time for the annual Race-a-thon, and Steve the horse is excited! He knows he'll win. He wins every year! And no wonder, Steve's body is built for running. He's got a big chest for deep breaths, powerful hindquarters to propel him forward and the longest legs in the forest. But when he goes to sign up, Steve finds out the rules have changed, and his confidence starts to waver. Because this year, the Race-a-thon is going to be a relay race, which means all runners must compete in teams. And Steve's on a team with the slowest runners in the forest: Turtle, Duck and Snail! Is it possible that Steve could lose the Race-a-thon for the first time ever?

This delightful picture book story from Kelly Collier about the lovable --- if sometimes self-absorbed --- horse named Steve is laugh-out-loud funny. Every page features humorous and cleverly designed interplay between the illustrations and commentary, as well a few definitions (such as powerful hindquarters: "That means strong bum muscles") that provide vocabulary enrichment. The humor and the edge-of-the-seat description of the race make this a fantastic read-aloud pick. It also works as a great discussion starter on the topic of sportsmanship and on the character education skill of teamwork.