Red Fox Running

by Eve Bunting, Wendell Minor (Illustrations)

Red Fox runs on and on through the snow in search of food for his family. Then he makes the long trek back to his den where his mate and cubs are waiting.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Poetry, Nonfiction, Nature

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Also known as Evelyn Bolton and A.E. Bunting.

Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.

Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.

In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story, bright with urgency and realism. This is not a cute-and-fuzzy tale, but one where Red Fox is hungry, hungry, hungry and searching for food at the end of this long winter day. The poetry and pictures are beautiful. Good story if you want to share "what really happens" in nature with little ones.
(Spoiler: the fox does find food, so happy ending for him.)

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic illustrations add to an enthralling story of a fox’s efforts to survive in winter. Eve Bunting’s words coupled with Wendell Minor’s help invest the reader in what will happen to the fox by the end. Glad it has a happy ending and makes you glad to have a roof over your head and food to eat in winter.

[Alyssa Bohon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quality nature in art book that captures the bleak beauty and desperation of late winter. Noted because the illustrations are remarkable and the atmosphere is authentic yet not overly harsh. One feels transported and satisfied.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully told and illustrated story of a fox working for his dinner.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fox faces the challenges of finding food on a harsh winter's day. Lovely illustrations tell a realistic nature story.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take, and outstanding illustrations!

[Jameson Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations. Great, percussive rhythm to the poem.

[Thomasin Propson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Red fox running… Hunger runs beside you…”

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winter has gone on too long, and it brings with it a Red Fox as it runs across the landscape in search of food to ease the hunger that follows him. Red Fox runs to survive and provide for others.

[Bindel Kids · Rating 3 out of 5]

The vibe of the beautiful paintings and cheesy poems don’t match but are great separately.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pictures in this book are absolutely beautiful! They alone warrant a good portion of the stars given to this book.

I thought the story itself was good. A poem about a hungry fox looking for food. The only thing is that sometimes I thought the rhythm was a little uneven. Also, it’s a tad intense for young readers. It’s a good introduction to the food chain – but sensitive readers will probably be upset as the fox gets hungrier and hungrier and more weary, and that …

SPOILER

the fox does find dinner. While you feel happy for the fox you can’t help feel sorry for the unnamed creature that became the fox’s meal. I must say though, that I thought it was wise that the author chose to *not* call out what kind of an animal became dinner, and all we see is that it has fur, so children won’t have to associate a specific creature with the foxes meal.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeously detailed and realistic illustrations are the highlight of this book about a red fox. The narrative is a non-rhyming poem about a hungry red fox and the world around him. The story tells about prey and predator and the food chain that puts the fox in both positions. It ends with a comforting scene (at least for the fox and his kin.) We enjoyed reading this poem together, and we loved the wonderful pictures.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hungry red fox is looking for food to take back to his family. I love the way this book captures the wildness of the fox and how it must feel to hunt and be hunted. The pictures are beautiful and realistic.

[Kathy Ferrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, stunning images! A lovely story, too!

[Mckinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow fox around.