foxes

2 New Picture Books Featuring Moms

| Tasha
Book cover for Arctic Adventure: A Tundra Tale by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illustrated by Alexandra Cook. Features a little arctic fox and a large arctic fox sitting nose to nose with two humans in a boat in the background.

Arctic Adventure: A Tundra Tale by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illustrated by Alexandra Cook

  • Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
  • Publication Date: January 6, 2026
  • Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
  • ISBN: 9781250385444

As Little Fox follows her mother into the cold winter morning, she knows that the sun won’t appear now for weeks. At the same time, a child joins her mother to help photograph the Arctic. Both mothers clean up their children and then start exploring. The moon stays in the sky, reindeer head to the mountains to graze, then a polar bear arrives. The families explore the ice floes and meet a narwhal and a whale. As they play, a storm begins to brew, sending icy snow and brisk winds. The two little ones are lost together until their mothers find them both. That night, after the storm, the northern lights fill the sky.

The combination of the fox family and human families exploring the Arctic setting near one another works particularly well in this enticing picture book. Just right for winter storytimes, children will love seeing the animals while also seeing the beauty of the landscape. The mixed media illustrations are marvelously angular and dramatic, showing the ice ridges, the glow of the northern lights and the merry adventurers in the epic space.

A cold and gorgeous Arctic adventure. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Book cover for Bread Is Love by Pooja Makhijani, illustrated by Lavanya Naidu. Features a brown-skinned mother and two small children looking at the table where the title is written in flour.

Bread Is Love by Pooja Makhijani, illustrated by Lavanya Naidu

  • Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
  • Publication Date: February 10, 2026
  • Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
  • ISBN: 9781250906885

Mama bakes bread every weekend and the young narrator and her little sister help. Bread is only made of four ingredients: flour, water, salt and starter. The starter is sourdough, gloopy, alive and sour smelling. Everyone helps with mixing the ingredients together. Then they must wait for the bread to rise. It takes patience to make bread. Once risen, the dough is shaped into bread. But it must rest again overnight, just like the children. Sometimes the bread will come out beautifully but other times it isn’t quite right. This time it deflated, but it still tastes good!

I’m a dedicated sourdough bread maker and also make bread every weekend, so this book spoke to me. I love the family working together to make bread but best of all I appreciate the fact that the loaf doesn’t turn out quite as they may have dreamt it would. That’s part of bread making that simply has to be embraced. The entire process teaches children about patience, imperfection, and the joy of being able to eat the results. The illustrations in this book are wonderfully welcoming and warm. They feel like a warm loaf of bread straight from the oven.

A yummy love-letter to bread making. Appropriate for ages 1-4.

3 New Picture Books Filled with Personal Growth

| Tasha
Book cover for Home Away from Home by Nazneen Akbari, illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh. A grandmother and granddaughter sit together on a bench looking at the sea in Oman as the sun sets. A boat floats on the water, seagulls and a plane are in the sky. A black cat sits near them and the girl's luggage and doll are with them.

Home Away from Home by Nazneen Akbari, illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh

  • Publisher: Barefoot Books
  • Publication Date: February 3, 2026
  • Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
  • ISBN: 9798888598962

When Nuha visits Oman with her mother, she isn’t sure that she’s going to like it at all. Her grandmother feels like a stranger since they haven’t seen one another for three years. When Nuha accidentally leaves her favorite doll behind, her grandmother takes her to the souk to see if they can find a new doll together. Nuha isn’t thrilled to go and rejects the first dolls they find since they don’t have golden hair like her favorite doll. But soon she finds herself drawn into the souk, tasting some food, getting henna, making music, and watching the sun set over the sea. Nuha just might be ready for a brand new doll who looks like her and her grandmother. 

This picture book is will speak to every child visiting a forgotten grandmother after some time away. Jadda’s patience with her reluctant granddaughter is beautifully shown and Nuha’s changing attitude happens organically and is very believable. Readers will also get to glimpse a souk and Akbari shares many of the sensory experiences to be had there. The illustrations are bright and friendly, filled with beautiful fabrics and colors of Oman. 

A book worth visiting. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Book cover for Mungo on His Own by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Julie Benbassat. A fox leaps across the cover above white flowers with a smile on its face.

Mungo on His Own by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Julie Benbassat 

  • Publisher: Clarion Books
  • Publication Date: January 27, 2026
  • Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
  • ISBN: 9780063216716

Mungo the fox cub is still hungry after dinner, so he asks his mother if he can go out in the dark and go to the berry bush. This would be the first time he ever foraged on his own before. It was a windy night and sometimes the bushes looked like big animals. He had to cross the river using slippery stepping stones, and oops he was suddenly all wet. Then there was the road to cross with its large beasts that roared past. Hearing a frightening noise, Mungo hid in a hollow tree. He thought about going back home but then remembered all that his mother had taught him and started using his nose. He reached the berry bush when it started to snow, making his trip back magical. 

This story will inspire children to head on their own adventures with their parents’ blessing. It is particularly important that Mungo faced not only imagined dangers but real ones like cold river water and cars. The mix of the two makes the book all the more effective as does Mungo’s mixed success at the variety of challenges that face him. It’s not perfect but he’s successful indeed. The illustrations celebrate night in the woods, offering just the right amount of darkness lit effectively by Mungo’s own red coat. They are a delightful mix of cute animals and potential danger.

A grand adventure with a sweet ending. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Book cover for Suuban’s First Day by Shugri Salh, illustrated by Àlàbá Ònájìn. A Black girl marches with a stick and a goat in her arms in front of a parade of camels and goats.

Suuban’s First Day by Shugri Salh, illustrated by Àlàbá Ònájìn

  • Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
  • Publication Date: January 27, 2026
  • Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
  • ISBN: 9781250340207

Suuban woke up and checked to see if her front teeth were loose, but they didn’t wiggle at all. Her mother wouldn’t let her herd the goats by herself until she lost her front teeth, probably four more months from now. Time passed slowly, but eventually four months passed and Suuban had practiced taking care of the goats and sheep in their yard. One of her teeth was still in her mouth, so Suuban solved it herself using a butting goat. Now she was ready! Suuban headed out to the termite mound, the farthest she was allowed to go. She kept a lookout for danger but eventually drifted off to sleep. Luckily, she woke up in time to save her baby goat from a wily fox. What will Suuban do next?

Set in the Somalian desert among the nomadic tribes, this picture book shows a different way of life than we have in America. The book shows the respect Suuban has for her parents, following their rules for what she is allowed to do. Yet she is still a child, learning from her mistakes and choices. The book takes its time as Suuban must wait for her teeth to loosen, sharing patience with the reader. The illustrations are key to understanding the lifestyle of the nomadic people, from their movable homes to their herding animals. It is captured with respect and beauty.

Patience, responsibility and a glimpse of a different way of life. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

How to Find a Fox by Kate Gardner

| Tasha
Cover image for How to Find a Fox.

How to Find a Fox by Kate Gardner, photographs by Ossi Saarinen (9780762471355)

This nonfiction picture book explores the world of the fox in beautiful photographs. The text is a mixture of a very simple storyline of finding a fox combined with detailed facts about foxes and their adaptability in a changing world. The book looks at when it is best to find a fox, such as time of day or season. It goes on to describe what a fox looks like and what to look for when finding their tracks. You can also listen for yips or other noises. But most importantly, you must try to be very quiet and hope that a fox might just find you!

The text of the book is well-written and full of interesting foxy facts. Children will want not only the simple story but to hear about the details of the fox’s life and how to find one themselves. The premise of the book alone is an invitation that is almost impossible to turn away from.

From the cover and through the entire book, the photographs are the focus. They marvelously capture the fox with clarity and a real feeling for their character. There are images where the fox is lit by the sun where you can almost sink your fingers into their fur. Other pages have the fox looking right at the reader with undeniable intelligence. Simply beautiful.

One of the most enticing and gorgeous animal books of the year. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Running Press Kids.

The Fox and the Forest Fire by Danny Popovici

| Tasha
Cover image for The Fox and the Forest Fire.

The Fox and the Forest Fire by Danny Popovici (9781797202822)

A boy moves from the city to a new home in the forest. At first, the nights are too quiet and the mornings are too loud. He goes on hikes with his mother, but it takes him some time to discover that there is a lot to do in the forest. He starts studying the insects, building small rock dams for little fish, and also makes friends with a fox. The two of them spend their days living in parallel. Then one morning, there is a column of smoke on the horizon. The boy and his mother must leave their home and the animals flee in front of the burning forest. They all lose their homes in the blaze. Months later, everyone is safe and they begin to rebuild. The forest doesn’t look the same, but things are slowly returning, the forest healing itself.

Written by a volunteer firefighter, this picture book looks at the deep connectivity to home, particularly one where you experience nature and animals living around you. That first part of the book as the boy steadily grows to love his new home makes a strong foundation for the devastation that follows. Readers will worry about the fox and other animals who can’t leave in a car for safety. The story is moving and timely with the current wildfires.

The art really looks closely at nature and the forest habitat, filling the pages with verdant greens and lovely cool pools of water, flowers, fallen logs, and much more. Some of the pages are wordless, allowing readers to simply sink into the natural world along with the protagonist. The pages about the fire capture the eerie light of the blaze, filling the images with a sense of impending danger.

A look at connecting with nature and the resilience to start again. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy provided by Chronicle Books.

Little Fox by Edward van de Vendel

| Tasha

Little Fox by Edward van de Vendel

Little Fox by Edward van de Vendel & Marije Tolman (9781646140077)

Little fox is chasing two butterflies because they are purple. He runs so quickly that he doesn’t notice the ground falling away and takes a horrible tumble. He lands hard and starts to dream. It’s a dream about his life from when he was a very small baby to growing up with his brothers and sisters. It’s a dream of smells, of mice and deer, of wind and water. Daddy Fox warns Little Fox not to be so curious but he can’t help but wonder about the little human with the camera. It turns out that that little human saves Little Fox from getting his head stuck in a jar. Then after his terrible fall, the little human arrives just in time to save Little Fox one more time.

While some might read the description above as a cautionary tale, this book doesn’t take that tone at all. Instead it celebrates the small things in life, a mother’s love, a father’s attention, siblings, food, and exploration. Throughout there is a feeling of joy and marvel, such as the memory of licking drops of water off of a deer’s nose. The book is also peppered with smaller moments, blackberries, birds, and orange balls.

The illustrations are unique and ethereal. Using photographs to create her landscapes, which are then depicted in vibrant orange or cool teal, Tolman places her characters in them with precision. Other pages are done on creamy paper where the landscapes and characters are drawn. Still others play on the white background of the pages.

This European import is quiet and profound. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from egalley provided by Chronicle Books.

Review: Lawrence in the Fall by Matthew Farina

| Tasha

Lawrence in the Fall by Matthew Farina

Lawrence in the Fall by Matthew Farina, illustrated by Doug Salati (9781484780589)

When Lawrence finds out that his teacher wants the students to bring in their collections to share, he is very worried. He doesn’t have a collection at all. At home, he tells his father about not having a collection and his father has an idea. The two of them head into the forest together to see what they can find. But Lawrence doesn’t want to collect bugs the way the spider does and he can’t reach the shiny, smooth rocks that the river has collected. When a sudden storm begins, Lawrence gets separated from his father and finds himself standing near a large tree full of bright-colored leaves. Lawrence calls to the tree and it drops a beautiful leaf down to him. Now Lawrence knows exactly what to collect!

Farina captures the emotions that can accompany an assignment at school, including sadness and isolation. Thanks to the warmth of his father’s response, the two of them tackle the problem, taking action rather than despairing. In the end, Lawrence delights all of the children in his class by sharing his collection freely with them. The book has a touch of magic about it as Lawrence requests leaves from the trees, and they freely offer them.

The art by Salati captures Lawrence’s emotions beautifully. The double-page spreads of the forest are dramatic and could be seen as something frightening, particularly when Lawrence is separated from his father. In the end, the forest becomes something very special, a place where Lawrence discovers nature.

A lovely picture book with delicate illustrations and a strong story. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Disney-Hyperion.

Review: The Rough Patch by Brian Lies

| Tasha

The Rough Patch by Brian Lies

The Rough Patch by Brian Lies (9780062671271)

Evan, a fox, and his dog did everything together from taking rides in the truck to sharing ice cream. What they loved to do most of all was work in Evan’s large garden together. Evan was known for growing large vegetables, competing for the largest pumpkin. But when his dog died, Evan saw his garden as a bitter place. One day, he went out and smashed it into emptiness. But things grow in empty spots, weeds and brambles rose up. They matched Evan’s mood, so he cared for them. Soon his garden was prickly and grim, just like him. When a pumpkin vine came into the garden, Evan cared for it too because it had prickles. Just as the pumpkin turned orange and huge, Evan realized it was time for the fair. Evan found himself enjoying the fair, meeting old friends and eating treats. And the grand prize was just right to set his life and his garden on a new course.

This book is so poignant. Lies captures grief and loss vividly on the page, the bitterness of loss, the emptiness it leaves, and prickliness of emotions left behind. Evan the fox though is a gardener through and through, so he cared for those prickly things, those weeds, and allowed them to flourish. It is a perfect allegory for the process of grief, moving from anger to despair to sadness and finally to acceptance and looking to the future. The arc is beautifully shown.

The illustrations are exceptional. Done with marvelous small details, even Evan’s grief garden is depicted with care from small signs warning of poison to the fences of the garden made of pitchforks. The use of light and dark is done so well, as Evan looks out from the darkness of his home into the light of the garden and gets violently angry.

One of the top picture books of the year, this is a dead dog picture book worth reading. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

 

 

3 New Friendly Picture Books

| Tasha

Adelaide_s Secret World by Elise Hurst

Adelaide’s Secret World by Elise Hurst (9781524714543)

Originally published in Australia, this picture book features a similar world to Hurst’s Imagine a City, a bustling urban setting filled with animals. Adelaide lives in the city and runs a quiet shop where she makes small models. She spent her days and nights alone, watching others rush past and noting those that were quieter like her. Caught in a sudden rainstorm one day, she sees a Fox that she has noticed earlier drop his book. When she returns the book, she hopes they will connect, but it doesn’t happen that day. Still, Adelaide does not give up and creates an art piece filled with connection and magic that may just make her a new friend. This picture book celebrates quiet people who still want friends and connection. Through the gorgeous glowing full-color paintings, Hurst creates a world for these two quiet animals to live in, one that invites readers in and holds them close. Appropriate for ages 4-6. (Reviewed from e-galley provided by Edelweiss and Knopf Books for Young Readers.)

The Digger and the Flower by Joseph Kuefler

The Digger and the Flower by Joseph Kuefler (9780062424334)

Crane, Dozer and Digger are three big trucks who work hard to build big buildings, roads and bridges. Then one day Digger discovered a tiny flower in the rubble. Digger took care of the flower, watering it, protecting it from the wind and singing to it just before he went to sleep nearby. Soon though, the empty lot that the flower grew in was needed for building. Before Digger could stop him, Dozer cut the flower down. Digger was so sad, but there on the ground were three little seeds. The illustrations have strong graphical elements with shots of color from the trucks and flower. A simple and lovely tale of death and birth, of caring for something you love, this picture book gives a big truck a huge heart. (Reviewed from library copy.)

Kate, Who Tamed the Wind by Liz Garton Scanlon

Kate, Who Tamed the Wind by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Lee White (9781101934791)

A man lived all alone at the top of a very steep hill where winds blew constantly. The wind blew so much that eventually, the shutters banged and the boards bent, and the wind tipped things over and just kept on blowing. Kate was a little girl who lived below the steep hill. When the man cried out in despair, Kate heard him and had a plan. She thought and thought, realizing that she could not stop the wind from blowing. But she could bring new trees to the man. So up she went, pulling her wagon of trees. The two planted the trees together and time passed, the wind still blew, but eventually the trees softened the wind and their friendship grew along with the trees. This picture book is so delightful. Scanlon uses rhymes, rhythm and repetition to create a story that is jaunty and wonderful to read aloud. She plays with the forms, so it never becomes sing-songy and is constantly surprising. The art is just as sprightly and warm, with a stunningly steep hill and plenty of vexing wind. The solution, provided by a child, incorporates nature and science. Appropriate for ages 3-5. (Reviewed from e-galley provided by Edelweiss and Schwartz & Wade.)

3 Wintry Picture Books

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Two of these picture book welcome winter while another sends it on its way:

Spring for Sophie by Yael Werber

Spring for Sophie by Yael Werber, illustrated by Jen Hill (9781481451345)

Sophie is waiting for spring to come, but she’s not sure how to tell when it arrives. Her mother explains that she should be able to hear the changes, so Sophie is patient and listens while she is outside. Eventually she starts to hear more and more birds in the trees. Still, it was snowy outside. Her father explains that she can use her feet to feel spring coming. So Sophie paid attention to how soft the snow was and eventually, it was less icy and more soft. Still, the snow was there. Her mother tells her to use her eyes and nose. Sophie watches the snow melt, the green return and one day her nose tells her that spring has finally arrived! This picture book celebrates the change of season in a tangible way that children will love. The focus is on the child experiencing the changes themselves with gentle guidance from loving adults. The illustrations celebrate both winter and spring, the slow but steady transformation between seasons. A perfect book to invite exploring outside. Appropriate for ages 3-6. (Reviewed from library copy.)

William_s Winter Nap by Linda Ashman

William’s Winter Nap by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Chuck Groenink (9781484722824)

This rhyming picture book tells a story of a boy who is ready for bed. But just as he is about to fall asleep, there comes a tap, tap, tap at his window. It’s a chipmunk and William invites him into his bed to sleep. Again and again, William is about to fall asleep but another animal needs shelter from the cold and the snow. When the last animal knocks, the other animals insist that there isn’t any more room, but somehow they find room for the very large bear with a little help from William. The series of drowsy moments interrupted makes this a great bedtime tale but also a lovely one to share with a group. The illustrations are friendly and inviting, just like William himself. There are opportunities for counting, naming animals and thinking about napping yourself in this very appealing read. Appropriate for ages 2-4. (Reviewed from copy provided by Disney Hyperion.)

Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer

Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Richard Jones

Fox wakes up to snowflakes falling and wonders what he should be doing to prepare for winter. A caterpillar suggests that he wrap up in a chrysalis and wake in the spring while the bat thinks a cave would be best. Turtle heads to the bottom of the pond to sleep in the mud and squirrel quickly gathers food. The geese fly south and the snowshoe hare turns white like the snow. Bear falls asleep in a log. But none of those solutions is right for Fox! He finally meets another fox in the woods who knows just what to do. Beautifully written by Bauer, this book uses repetitive structures to evoke a timeless feel that will be welcoming for the youngest listeners. The illustrations by Jones have a lovely softness to them while also showing the changing season and the beauty of the natural setting. A great pick for celebrating the coming winter. Appropriate for ages 2-4. (Reviewed from library copy.)