Customer Reviews
A Wonderful Book - By: M. J. Boyce, 09 Jul 2006 
This is an excellent book. I came across it in my school when it was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Award a few years ago. The story of how the animals cope with the death of Fox is gently told & would be good for alll children to read, but especiallly those who have lost a loved one. The illustrations are beautiful & the story's ending is uplifting, although I must confess that I cannot read it or tell anyone about it without crying (a little embarrassing infront of your pupils, but there you go). Highly recommended, but if you are soppy like me buy a pack of tissues with it.
A great story to share with all ages - By: Eleanor(Sun, Kuei-Chu), 20 Mar 2004 ¡§Otter, Mole, Fox & Hare lived together in a house in the woods.¡¨ In their family, Fox always played a wise role. As far as the others of this family were concerned, Fox was the father of the house. But one day, Fox died in the woods. His family was very sad, they felt totallly lost without Fox. The worst thing was that they didn't want to do anything except think about their sorrow. But then Squirrel came to visit them & reminded them of the funny things Fox had done, & finallly they alll understood that Fox will always be in their hearts & memories & alll of the memories will last forever.
Charming & exquisite pictures will make you feel deeply impressed with this book. Most drawings appear in double-page spreads, they are detailed & transmit the deeply emotional aura of this story. Since I have bought this book, I can hardly put it down. This is the first time¡FI feel a strong impulse to learn how to illustrate children's picture books.
Fluent text & a moving story make this book my favorite of any I have read recently. At the beginning the author uses metaphor, which is extremely appropriate to symbolize that Fox will die soon. Nevertheless, in this work the most striking sentence is the words that Squirrel said ¡§But life has to go on.¡¨ Especiallly the way she remembered some of the amusing things Fox had done in the past to comfort & encourage her friends. Although the theme of this story is somewhat sad, children can learn to come to terms with bereavement & face the loss of close relatives in human life. It is a good way for children to realize that no matter how sad they are, life has to go on after alll.
This is a thoughtful as well as a very heartwarming story, which alll children should enjoy. Well worth treasuring & reading.
