The Winter Fox – Timothy Knapman, illustrated by Rebecca Harry, Nosy Crow, (9780763696313), 2017
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 1- 5 (5 is excellent or a Starred review) 4
Genre: Picture Book
What did you like about the book? This enchanting winter story’s cover will catch the reader’s eye with it’s silver metallic accents. As in the classic Aesop fable The Ant and the Grasshopper, Fox is busy having lots of summer fun and doesn’t listen to warnings of his friends that he needs to prepare for winter. Rabbit tries to show him how to build a cozy home, Owl offers to help him make a warm bed and Squirrel invites him to store away food for the winter. Winter arrives and Fox is cold and hungry. Fox makes a wish on a star and a silver wrapped package magically falls from the sky. Readers will see the silhouette of Santa and his sleigh in the night sky. Fox shares the gifts with his friends and they all enjoy a fun day in the snow. As evening falls, Fox’s friends help him make a cozy home with a warm bed and a stack of leftovers. The illustrations of acrylic with generous highlights of silver metallic foil capture the forest setting and the magic of winter. The color palette perfectly conveys the change of season from summer to fall to winter. This is a sweet twist on the Aesop fable with a hint of Christmas spirit added along with the pretty silver accents.
Anything you didn’t like about it? No
To whom would you recommend this book? This is a nice addition to stories about the seasons. It could also be added to holiday story collections.
Who should buy this book? Public libraries and elementary school libraries
Where would you shelve it? Picture Books
Should we (librarians/readers) put this at the top of our “to read” piles? No
Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City: Catherine Coyne, Mansfield Public Library, Mansfield, MA
Date of review: 10/21/17
Youth Services Book Review 
You must be logged in to post a comment.