#blogbookaday: Little Fox In the Forest

Summary:  “A wordless picture book in which two friends follow a young fox deep into the woods and discover a wondrous and magical world.

When a young girl brings her beloved stuffed fox to the playground, much to her astonishment, a real fox takes off with it! The girl chases the fox into the woods with her friend, the boy, following close behind, but soon the two children lose track of the fox. Wandering deeper and deeper into the forest, they come across a tall hedge with an archway. What do they find on the other side? A marvelous village of miniature stone cottages, tiny treehouses, and, most extraordinary of all, woodland creatures of every shape and size. But where is the little fox? And how will they find him? “(Taken from Goodreads)

Review: With panels similar to that of a graphic novel or comic strip, this wordless picture book packs an imaginative tale of the lengths children will go to find a lost stuffie. Similar in concept to Knufffle Bunny by Mo Willems, this story stands on its own and is a delight to read. Stephanie Graegin does a wonderful job of creating two very different and yet at the same time, similar worlds ensuring kids will understand the difference when the main character travels from a washed out world of gray to a magical forest community filled with color. Although many adults are nervous to read a wordless picture book, this one does such an amazing job of telling the story, you won’t have to wonder what to read next.

Personal Reaction: I loved the way this story took a Wizard of Oz approach to creating two separate worlds with dull gray tones and a bright woodland village filled with creatures. I also liked how a child could relate both to the main character in this story as well as to the little fox who wanted so much for a stuffie to look just like him! This is a sweet story that would work perfectly one-on-one, and of course with your chid’s stuffie tucked in close as well!

Title: Little Fox in the Forest
Author: Stephanie Graegin
Illustrator: Stephanie Graegin
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Publication Date: February 28, 2017

This is a new idea I’m trying on my blog this year that was inspired by @donalynbooks and @heisereads – to provide a brief review of a picture book every day of 2018. You’ll get a brief summary of the story, a review of the content, illustrations and theme, my personal reaction to the book and all the pertinent publication information! Enjoy!