Stemville: The Fast Lane

The tortoise and the hare are back – but not as you know them. This time, the Big Race is a Formula 1-style showdown in the town of Stemville, and it’s less about fairy tale and more about fuel injection. Frankie Thunderfoot is the latest in a long line of speed-obsessed hares. Wilbur Hardshell, the tortoise, takes a slower, more logical approach. The twist? Neither of them wins.

Newman’s riff on the classic fable offers something quietly radical. When the inevitable accident occurs, Wilbur chooses kindness over competition, carrying the injured Frankie across the finish line – only for an unassuming little mouse to pip them both to the post. It’s a warm, generous reworking of the story’s original moral, swapping smugness for sportsmanship.

Narratively and visually, this is a hybrid (pun fully intended). Part picture book, part STEM primer, part comic-strip caper, each spread stands alone – welcoming the back-and-forthness of shared reading. Like Richard Scarry’s bustling worlds, the book invites browsing, re-reading, and the joy of spotting something new each time. Newman’s aesthetic, however, is sharper and more geometric: bold shapes, clean lines, and graphic design flair make every page feel like a poster in motion.

Flying Eye’s production values only heighten the experience. From the embossed cover to the thick, colour-rich, weighty paper stock, this is a book that feels as good as it looks. No page is wasted, and no corner is ignored. STEM content is smartly integrated – tyres, gears, fuel mixes, G-force, and wind resistance are all explored – but always in service of story. And it’s Wilbur’s quiet resolve, patience, and empathy that power the emotional engine.

A narratively generous joyride through science, storytelling, and unexpected heroism. The Fast Lane is a joy in design and detail, with a big thump of heart too: a book to slow down with, look closely at, and read (and learn) together.