foxes

Review: Come Back, Moon by David Kherdian

| Tasha

come back moon

Come Back, Moon by David Kherdian, illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian

In this quiet book, Bear blames the moon for not being able to fall asleep.  So he pulls it out of the sky.  Fox notices that the moon is gone and so do Skunk, Opossum and Raccoon.  Crow asks Fox why he doesn’t know where the moon is, since he’s so clever.  So Fox takes them all to talk to Owl who is wise.  Owl knows where the moon is, since he saw Bear take it.  So they head off to retrieve the moon from Bear.  But how will they get it away from him?

This book has a wonderfully clear and simple story line that makes it ideal to use with toddlers.  It also has a deep quiet to it that will work for good bedtime or naptime reading.  Kherdian uses repetition throughout the story, having the different animals share ideas and echo back decisions. 

Hogrogian’s art also has that simple style.  She has wonderful images like the one on the cover that speak to the darkness and loss of the moon.  Her animals are realistically depicted and appear against white or tan backgrounds with few details. 

There is a place for quiet books for small children and this one has just enough activity to keep it moving too.  It would make a great board book.  Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from copy received from Beach Lane Books.

Review: Foxy! by Jessica Souhami

| Tasha

foxy

Foxy! by Jessica Souhami

This North American version of a universal trickster tale is given a fresh but still classic take in this new picture book.  Foxy caught a bee and put it in a sack.  He met a woman with a rooster and asked her to look after his sack while he went to visit a friend, but insisted that she not look in the sack.  Of course, the woman did look in and the bee flew off.  So the Fox demanded her rooster in exchange.  This pattern continues with Foxy leaving the sack with another person and exchanging one animal for an even more large and tasty one.  Until he finally gets a little boy in his sack and meets up with a woman who understands how to trick a trickster.

Souhami incorporates rhythm and repetition into her story in a way that makes it a pleasure to read aloud.  Each new animal is gained in the much the same way with the structure carrying through from one to the next.  The result is a story that dances along with the wily fox, the readers able to settle into the traditional feel of the tale.

This would make a great choice for turning into storytelling, though it would be a shame to lose the bright and vibrant cut-paper illustrations seen here.  They have a great crispness to them that translates well to a group.

Perfection for reading aloud, this story is designed to be shared.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: The Second Life of Abigail Walker by Frances O’Roark Dowell

| Tasha

second life of abigaiil walker

The Second Life of Abigail Walker by Frances O’Roark Dowell

Abby has always been on the outskirts of her group of friends, considered the fat one who could be teased endlessly about her weight.  She has to be careful not to give her real opinion and to always toe the line set by the group leader.  Privately, she considers them to be “medium girls” and nothing special, but they are her friends.  As Abby starts to investigate the abandoned lot across from her house, she gets gently bitten by a fox.  It is from that point on that she is no longer content to be a medium girl herself.  Following the fox and then a dog, Abby discovers a creek she never knew was in her neighborhood and then a farm on the other side.  A boy lives there with his grandmother and his father who is recovering from battle in Afghanistan.  As their friendship grows, Abby gains self confidence and is able to give a lot back too. 

This book had me from the very first page.  Told from the point of view of the fox, the first short chapter invites readers to speaks to the power of story, the role of fabled characters in our lives, and moments when the real world and myths intertwine.  It sets the stage perfectly for what is to come.  This is a realistic story that has magic and myth moments.  The writing is outstanding, bringing magic into our world through empty lots filled with weeds, foxes who live in urban settings, edges of suburbs, and newfound friends.

Abby is a great character.  She is chubby and ridiculed for it by not only her friends but her parents.  Yet she has a quiet strength, an underlying confidence, that allows her to withstand those opinions and grow into the person she really is.  She is a wonderfully normal child, not the brightest, not the strongest, but one who is willing to see beyond the weeds to the flowers.

This is a radiant book that celebrates the quiet, the mythical, the connections that are too often missed in our rush.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.