Fox

by Kate Banks, Georg Hallensleben (Illustrations)

Against the rhythmic background of turning seasons, a little fox learns that there is a time for everything. The rain, the clouds, the days all come and go as the little fox, guided by his wise and loving parents, learns to hunt on his own and bury his food, cover his trail and run like the wind. Now he is ready to go out on his own.
As depicted by an award-winning pair, the gentle story of the rearing of a baby fox, together with sensuous illustrations, takes readers on a journey deep into the woods to tell a tale that all will recognize – that of growing up and moving out.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Poetry, Storytime, Juvenile, Nature

40 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 1998

About the author

Kate Banks has written many books for children, among them Max’s Words, And If the Moon Could Talk, winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and The Night Worker, winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award. She grew up in Maine, where she and her two sisters and brother spent a lot of time outdoors, and where Banks developed an early love of reading. “I especially liked picture books,” she says, “and the way in which words and illustrations could create a whole new world in which sometimes real and other times magical and unexpected things could happen.” Banks attended Wellesley College and received her masters in history at Columbia University. She lived in Rome for eight years but now lives in the South of France with her husband and two sons, Peter Anton and Maximilian.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/katebanks

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young kit waits for his chance to prove himself. A gentle story about growing up - it features bold, colorful artwork by Georg Hallensleben.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple art like Astro Girl, very sweet, perfect for sending a child out into the world.

Library copy

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute looking book whose cover will attract readers who enjoy foxes and children who are charmed by cute covers. The illustrations continue to hold promise throughout the story but just like the rather bland title of this particular book the story doesn't hold much water.

The writing is easy enough to follow and makes for good reading for those who have already learned how to although the usage of teat may cause some concern to those who don't want their children reading such bodily words. There doesn't seem to be much rhyming to the story itself while the reader is only given glimpses into what a fox's life is while at the same time modeling the youngster like other human children who just cannot wait to grow-up.

Otherwise the illustrations are gorgeous, brightly colorful and are much more enjoyable than the reading. Readers will feel like they have been brought into the world of the fox as they turn the pages and share the days with this foxy family.

All in all it is a cute book but charm falls out with the story so I wouldn't recommend it to any readers whether they are young or older.

[Valleri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deciding when your little fox is ready for the big world is never an easy task, but the love and patience weaved through this adorable tale helps parent and child along the way. This book has artful illustrations with whimsical depictions of the fox family. I would highly recommend this story to anyone reading to a small child.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of growth. What a little fox must learn in his first year.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually teared up at the end the first time I read this.
There's a lovely mix of facts, patterned and figurative language here.
After reading to a group, I always ask the children which page they want to see again; maybe not surprisingly, a majority said the last page -- where the baby is fine and heading off into the world.

I love how the text didn't try to diminish (too much) the fox's predatory nature. (Okay, maybe it did a little.)

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sentimental. Good gift for the parents as their last child leaves home. I love that the foxes are depicted as nice, because carnivores often aren't.

(But I must be in a mood, because as I was trying to guess what little fox wanted to ready for, I kept saying to myself "Am I ready to raid a henhouse?" Well of course that's not what was going on at all. Shame on me for imagining it.)

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute art but she uses the word teat. I don't want to use that word around any age child, so I wouldn't recommend this book for any child. Saying milk or nurse would've been better

[Seema Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

A touching tale of a little fox told through lovely, tho idiosyncratic painted illustrations

[Misslulu 03 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Très bon livre pour apprendre aux enfants à ètre patient.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very simple story of a young fox's first year. The illustrations were enticing but were hard to focus my eyes on (blurry), and the story could have used more meat or detail.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A baby fox learns when he can go out on his own.

[Kiersten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully lyrical writing

[Kyja Wilburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice way to experience growth and seasons through the (anthropomorphized) eyes of a non human animal.

[Shahd Rdawi]

Cool illustration

[Angela De Groot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little fox wonders, “When will I be ready?”

[Kurt Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that fox did not ask to leave at the end, he knew he was ready. Not a very exciting book.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Follows a newborn fox kit through the seasons as his parents train him how to live as a fox and prepare him for life on his own.

[Sherry Scheline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable little read. I loved this cute little read.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Banks Vault #10
The story of a fox, as the title would suggest, fox lovers may enjoy, fox haters may not, people who are ambivalent about foxes will be ambivalent about this book!
I was ambivalent.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The baby fox needs a name.
The whole book needs more effort to really be effective. Illustrations are good.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Summer Reading Day 53: Today's book was Fox by Kate Banks. As I've mentioned before, foxes are my favorite animal, so mommy was definitely excited about this book, and it didn't really disappoint. It has a fox family, lovely descriptions of the passage of time over a year as a fox kit grows up, and the time-honored tale of learning how to fend for yourself (and your parents providing you with that knowledge). The art as sweet, with broad brush strokes featuring the colors of nature. But honestly, this was another book that left me tepid: no major complaints, but nothing that made me fall in love. Regardless, JJ liked it well enough, and it was a good length, so thumbs up!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Scott Roark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young fox learns how to survive with help from his parents. In the end he can hunt by himself, bury his own food, bury his food, and run like the wind. Illustrations are made with warm fall colors. Book could be used as an intro to life cycle and growing up. The father fox teaches the cub that he must have patience. This would be a great book for a lesson that students write their own story by just viewing the pictures. Class could then share some of them together.

[Inna Nako · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grade 1-2, Life cycles of animals, Life cycles of trees/Season changes

-this is a book that shows how a baby fox is born, grows, and becomes an adult fox
-describes the life cycle against a backdrop of the seasons changing and the leaves changing on trees
-very well done pictures
-can be used to teach text to self connections, bring up examples from real life about life cycles, or even letting go (the fox grows and leaves his parents to be on his own)

[Bvlmc Buchanan Verplanck Elementary School · Rating 4 out of 5]

This poetically written picture book about the first year a baby fox spends with his parents growing up weaves basic non-fiction information about foxes into the story. The poetic language roots the story to the natural environment in which the baby fox explores and the parents teach him how to survive in the world before he goes off on his own. This tale is sure to appeal to young children wanting to assert their growing independence just like the baby fox wants to do.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple tale, well done. It shows baby fox growing up, eager to be out on his own, but needing to wait until his parents feel he's ready. Poignant ending when he's excited to be leaving the den but also knowing he's leaching his home. The illustrations are gorgeous - thickly painted in warm natural colors.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasant story about a young fox who keeps wondering when he will be "ready" -- "Not yet!" "Soon!" "Amost!" his parents answer throughout the spring, summer and autumn. The end will likely tug on parents' heartstrings as fox is finally ready to strike out on his own.
Adorable foxes and engaging landscapes make the illustrations appealing.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful richly colored pictures of a baby fox growing up with his parents and learning how to take care of himself for 2-4 year olds who are becoming more independent. Other books by them include And if the Moon Could Talk, The Night Worker, and the Cat who Walked across France.

[Raven Grider · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are well done, but the rest of the story is kind of dull. If I were to use this book in my classroom, I would use it in a kindergarten classroom probably on the first week of school to teach the students about leaving home for the first time.

[Lbrown107 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a a really cute book that could be used in a second grade classroom to talk about the life cycle of animals, specifically the fox. The book also hints at the changing of seasons which you could tie into life cycles and the time it takes to complete a life cycle or stage of the life cycle.