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Foxy!
Foxy has a very large sack with just one bee in it. But on his travels he meets a woman with a nice fat rooster. . . "Whatever you do, don't look in the sack!" says Foxy. But the woman does, of course, and when the bee escapes Foxy takes the rooster in exchange! He repeats the trick to acquire a lovely fat pig, and finally. . . a little boy! But the last woman Foxy meets is as clever as he is. She sets the little boy free and substitutes a large fierce dog in the sack - who chases bad Foxy away, never to be seen again.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2012
1 person is currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Souhami
30 books4 followersJessica Souhami studied at the Central School of Art and Design which was a public school of fine and applied arts in London, England.
In 1980 she formed Mme Souhami and Co, a travelling puppet company using colourful shadow puppets with a musical accompaniment and a storyteller. Her illustrations, like her puppets, use brilliant colour and bold shapes and her characters leap and swoop across the spreads.
In October 2008 Jessica Souhami, along with other well know illustrators, contributed an artwork which was used in the film, We Are All Born Free. Amnesty International hosted a special launch event for this universal declaration of human rights.
Her many titles for Frances Lincoln Publishers are ‘Sausages!’, ‘In the Dark, Dark Wood’, ‘Baba Yaga and the Stolen Baby’, ‘The Leopard’s Drum’, ‘No Dinner!’, ‘Rama and the Demon King’, ‘The Famous Adventures of a Bird Brained Hen’, ‘The Little, Little House’, ‘Mrs McCool and the Giant Cuchulainn’ and ‘King Pom’ and ‘Foxy’.
Jessica lives in North London.
In 1980 she formed Mme Souhami and Co, a travelling puppet company using colourful shadow puppets with a musical accompaniment and a storyteller. Her illustrations, like her puppets, use brilliant colour and bold shapes and her characters leap and swoop across the spreads.
In October 2008 Jessica Souhami, along with other well know illustrators, contributed an artwork which was used in the film, We Are All Born Free. Amnesty International hosted a special launch event for this universal declaration of human rights.
Her many titles for Frances Lincoln Publishers are ‘Sausages!’, ‘In the Dark, Dark Wood’, ‘Baba Yaga and the Stolen Baby’, ‘The Leopard’s Drum’, ‘No Dinner!’, ‘Rama and the Demon King’, ‘The Famous Adventures of a Bird Brained Hen’, ‘The Little, Little House’, ‘Mrs McCool and the Giant Cuchulainn’ and ‘King Pom’ and ‘Foxy’.
Jessica lives in North London.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 7, 2018
2* art
5* story
Squirt and I love a book that has a phrase we can repeat out loud together. This one had a few things - "and he traveled and traveled and traveled until..." or the part where almost all the characters do the very same thing - they peek in the sack that they were told not to. We love how wicked old Foxy gets his comeuppance. So funny and "fair", especially to a kid. This is a masterpiece of story-writing, really. I only wish the illustrations matched the writing quality - this could have been on another level.
5* story
Squirt and I love a book that has a phrase we can repeat out loud together. This one had a few things - "and he traveled and traveled and traveled until..." or the part where almost all the characters do the very same thing - they peek in the sack that they were told not to. We love how wicked old Foxy gets his comeuppance. So funny and "fair", especially to a kid. This is a masterpiece of story-writing, really. I only wish the illustrations matched the writing quality - this could have been on another level.
September 11, 2013
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 sharing aloud, this story is designed to be shared. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
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 sharing aloud, this story is designed to be shared. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
October 8, 2020
A book about a fox who sees who is trustworthy by asking them not to look in his bag. He ends up planning on eating the boy but he’s been swapped for a dog who runs away. Lots of repetition and would be good as a read aloud book. Lots of opportunities for prediction.
January 18, 2018
This book was a little on the dark side for me, but had a good ending. It's sort of a modern take on Pandora, and also, how a woman is smarter than a sly fox.
January 2, 2019
A book about a fox who is smart and tricks all he meets so that he can get ahead, but then he meets his match.
April 29, 2025
good fun. repetition and additive story. "Don't look in the bag! Oh no!"
March 24, 2016
This particular story is a "North American" version of a universal folktale. Foxy has an empty bag. He catches a bee and puts it inside. When he comes across a woman he asks her to watch his bag while he goes to "Squintum's house," but he warns her not to look in the bag. Well, curiosity gets the better of her and she peeks. Out flies the bee! When Foxy returns he takes the woman's rooster in exchange for losing his bee. He travels and travels meeting new people along the way and asking the same question, giving the same warning. Time and again the people peek in his sack. He exchanges the rooster for a pig, the pig for a boy, and hopes to exchange the boy for some delicious cakes! However, the woman with the cakes finds out it's a boy before she opens it and tricks Foxy into taking her dog in the sack unknowingly. Deep into the forest, hungry Foxy decides to eat the boy. When he opens his sack- SURPRISE! It's a dog instead. The dog chases Foxy away.
The text is repetitive, which is good for reader retention. The story is pretty easy to grasp and offers the moral that being a trickster is not a profitable pastime. The pages are mostly white, and that helps the minimal but bright illustrations to stand out.
The text is repetitive, which is good for reader retention. The story is pretty easy to grasp and offers the moral that being a trickster is not a profitable pastime. The pages are mostly white, and that helps the minimal but bright illustrations to stand out.
December 20, 2014
Accumulative tale with illustrations that are oddly similar to Jennifer Yerkes' "A Funny Little Bird"!
White background with images of solid colors. Even the fox is similar!
The story, though, is a version of a traditional tale. By briefly describing the variants found around the world, the author helps the reader make the connection to other cultures. The people in the illustrations have a Latino appearance. The placement of the text breaks the story into small parts that are easily understood, and keep the action moving along. I wonder why the author chose a bee to start the action.
The simple repetitive phrases will have students quickly engaged and reading (or shouting!) along.
The title, which is also the name of the fox, invites us to ponder what it means to be 'sly like a fox' but in this case, the fox gets outwitted - the surprise ending will delight children. A perfect read aloud selection!
This is a nominee for the Maine Chickadee Award, and I can see this book getting a good number of votes!
White background with images of solid colors. Even the fox is similar!
The story, though, is a version of a traditional tale. By briefly describing the variants found around the world, the author helps the reader make the connection to other cultures. The people in the illustrations have a Latino appearance. The placement of the text breaks the story into small parts that are easily understood, and keep the action moving along. I wonder why the author chose a bee to start the action.
The simple repetitive phrases will have students quickly engaged and reading (or shouting!) along.
The title, which is also the name of the fox, invites us to ponder what it means to be 'sly like a fox' but in this case, the fox gets outwitted - the surprise ending will delight children. A perfect read aloud selection!
This is a nominee for the Maine Chickadee Award, and I can see this book getting a good number of votes!
December 28, 2025
The more my three-year-old and I read this book, the more we enjoyed it. Its repetitive pattern never grows tiresome, for it features an interesting variety of characters and animals. My toddler also appreciates the brightly-colored pages, with illustrations that are full of movement (and are not cluttered). My older child can appreciate the character of Foxy the Trickster and the psychology of his warning "Don't open the bag!" It's never spelled out, which I like, but I assume that Foxy's excuse of "going to Squintum's house" is a ruse, that there is no Squintum and that Foxy simply hides until his bag is inevitably opened by one character after another. My 10 yo. points out, though, that if you look closely at the illustrations, there are rows of houses in the background, and one of these could be Squintum's.
July 26, 2013
Simply worded by well crafted retelling of a fun folktale. I can't wait to try it in storytime!
*******
Such fun! I used this in a storytime this week for 3-6 year olds, and it was a blast! I loved getting to ask the kids what they thought would happen next. And they all loved repeating "don't look in the sack" throughout the story.
*******
Such fun! I used this in a storytime this week for 3-6 year olds, and it was a blast! I loved getting to ask the kids what they thought would happen next. And they all loved repeating "don't look in the sack" throughout the story.
July 3, 2013
Would have been 5 stars, but the fox keeps saying he is going to Squintum's house and there are no context clues or information afterward to let you know who Squintum is and even though he keeps traveling very far he is always able to say that is the house he is going to. Very confusing for me, a picky reader.
June 26, 2013
Who doesn't love a classic folktale? Jessica Souhami did a wonderful job telling a new yet classic folktale of the sly fox that continually attempts to dupe the other animals. This would make for a fun read-aloud to share with a grade school class, or with your kiddos at home.
July 29, 2014
Love this version of the fox who travelled from my childhood! I feel so lucky to find it and read it to my son now 40 years later:). So many lessons to be learned from this, can't fool all of the people all of the time, be careful for what you wish for, patience is a virtue and more!
July 24, 2015
Fun trickster tale with repetitive language that toddlers will wind up reciting with you by the end of the book. I do question Squintum's existence, and, if he is real, struggle to understand his apparent strict no-sack policy.
April 25, 2016
The more I read this with Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade classes, the more I loved it! The children (and I) enjoyed the repetition, and just about every class laughed out loud about 3/4 through the story! Teachers also loved the retelling of this folktale.
August 22, 2012
A trickster tale about how a crafty fox tricks everyone he meets into providing him with his supper.
April 29, 2013
Fun swap story. Maybe a storytime contender for older kids.
May 30, 2013
A fun trickster story; simple enough for even the youngest story time attendee to understand.
July 10, 2013
A fun trickster tale... One I want to keep in mind for storytelling!
August 5, 2013
This book - with folktale elements - will be a good one for storytimes about foxes.
November 24, 2013
A trickster tale
February 19, 2014
Foxy tricks his sacker-sitters into trading up when they sneak a peak in his secret sack and accidentally set that animal free.
June 16, 2014
Fun to read out loud and my son (3) liked the story.
January 26, 2015
Good example of a retelling of traditional literature appropriate for primary grade students.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews