fox

Book Review: Fox and Hen Together by Beatrice Rodriguez

| Tasha

foxhentogether

Fox and Hen Together by Beatrice Rodriguez

The story begun in The Chicken Thief continues in this second wordless book.  Here Hen has laid an egg but the refrigerator is empty, so she heads out to catch some fish.  This leaves Fox to watch the egg.  Hen fishes with her friend Crab, but when she catches a large fish, an eagle swoops out of the sky and grabs it.  Hen holds on and so does Crab as the eagle carries them all to its nest filled with hungry babies.  Just when you think they have escaped, a sea monster comes out of the deeps to grab the fish.  Hen manages to escape that danger too, but then enters the house to find that Fox has been having adventures too.

Rodriguez has created a full-color immersive wordless picture book that has great appeal.  The book has a great pacing that shifts from one page to the next, making for a very exciting and fun rollercoaster of a book.  It is all told through bright colors, plenty of action and a storyline that twists and turns. 

I am looking forward to the third in the series, Rooster’s Revenge, coming later this year.  The stories make most sense if you read both of them, learning the tale of the Fox and Hen and how they came to live together.

A bright, action-filled wordless book, it is appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Enchanted Lion.

Also reviewed by

Book Review: The Red Wagon by Renata Liwska

| Tasha

redwagon

Red Wagon by Renata Liwska

Lucy has a bright-red new wagon that she wants to play with so badly.  When she asks her mother though, her mother sends her on an errand to the market.  Lucy takes her red wagon to help her, but isn’t sure that it sounds like much fun.  On the way, Lucy and her friends have great imaginary adventures that include surviving a flood, being part of a wagon train, performing in a circus, and flying in a rocket.  By the time she gets back to her mother, Lucy is tuckered out completely but finally is free to play with her wagon.

Liwska is the artist behind The Quiet Book and The Loud Book.  This book is her first as both author and illustrator.  One could never tell that she hasn’t been writing books for children for some time.  She has just the right amount of text per page, clever pacing, and humor to spare.  It is all done from a child’s point of view with a child’s voice, making it very charming.

Her art is stellar with its spiraling lines that create soft textures.  There are small touches throughout that add humor and fun to the story.  I particularly like the three-eyed raccoon in the UFO when they are pretending to rocket into space. 

A clever, warm book about helping out and still having fun, this book celebrates the joy of a vivid imagination.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Philomel Books.

Also reviewed by Books Beside My Bed and Twenty by Jenny.

The Fox in the Dark

| Tasha

fox

The Fox in the Dark by Alison Green, illustrated by Deborah Allwright

Rabbit runs home, frightened that there is a fox chasing him in the dark.  He makes it home safely, but then he hears a Rat-a-tat-tat! at the door.  Who could it be?  It’s a duck who is also being chased by the fox and needs a safe place to be.  Rabbit lets Duck in, sharing his burrow, blanket and bed.  But just then another knock comes at the door.  This time it is Mouse.  Another knock and it’s Lamb.  All of them scared of the fox in the dark.  And then another knock comes at the door.  This time it’s the fox in the dark! 

A combination of dynamic writing and energetic illustrations makes for a stirring read that will have children guessing the entire way through.  Green offers young listeners plenty of rhythm and rhyme that is rambunctious.  It also builds up the drama and tension.  The book reads aloud very well and is sure to have preschool audiences in rapt attention. Allwright’s illustrations play a lot with light and dark, offering deep underground shots of the burrow that is filled with pools of yellow lamplight.  The moods set by this use of dark and light really add even further to the dynamic nature of the story.

Recommended for preschool story times, this book would also make a great Halloween read due to the tension built up.  It would make a great breather from witches and ghosts that time of year.  But don’t wait until then to share it with children!  Fit it into any story time featuring rabbits or foxes.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.