Little Fox

June 8, 2020
This meandering story-within-a-story by Dutch writer van de Vendel (The Little Dog That Nino Didn’t Have) begins as Little Fox roams through scrubby beach dunes. He chases two butterflies (“because they’re purple”), plunges off a rise, and lies still, apparently stunned. The kit’s whole life passes before him; in a captivating interlude, he recalls his infancy, his discovery of the world, and the joy of playing with his siblings. “In the dream, daddy fox tells Little Fox not to be so curious. Daddy says, ‘Too nosy is dead nosy.’ ” Sure enough, nosiness gets Little Fox into trouble, and a child helps him extricate his head from a glass bottle. Back in the present, the fox has a strange experience: he “sees himself lying there. That’s funny.” The child from the dream appears, carrying Little Fox and trailed by other creatures in what looks like a funeral procession. At the last minute, though, Little Fox revives. Winsome drawings by Tolman (What Dog Knows), of Little Fox and his companions, are placed against austere photographs of dunes and woods. Van de Vendel and Tolman’s tale is, on its face, an engaging vulpine autobiography; deeper down, it’s a journey to the border between life and death. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from July 1, 2020
An exuberant young fox plays joyfully among birds and animals, not always paying attention to possible dangers. He cannot resist racing behind two purple butterflies, causing him to zoom past the edge of an outcropping, falling heavily. His story is first told wordlessly in detailed illustrations that continue as text begins while he is unconscious, narrating a dream in which he recalls his development from birth, playing with his brothers and sisters, being cared for and taught by his parents, and having adventures in the world around him. A human child on a bicycle appears, whose activities are presented wordlessly. The narration picks up Fox's dream again and comes full circle with the child finding Little Fox and returning him home safely to his fox family. Van de Vendel's text describes the action in carefully constructed stream-of-consciousness, always exactly complementing Tolman's remarkable illustrations, which are rendered in a mesmerizing variety of forms and techniques. (Production notes at the end provide insight into their creation.) They invite readers into a beautiful, fully realized dreamscape. Backgrounds are gray-green, white, and soft tan, with birds and animals accurately drawn and softly hued. Little Fox and his family are seen in the brightest possible shade of orange, and the kind human child, who is white, also has bright orange hair and clothing. Readers will cheer Little Fox's full recovery while they study each page to find every glorious detail. A tender, brilliant tour de force from the Netherlands. (Picture book. 4-9)

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