September 1, 2024
Will the titular fox kit overcome his anxiety and join his family outside their safe den? The text's soothing rhythm, rhymes, and near-rhymes set an appropriately tender tone from the start: "Finnegan Fox is asleep in his den. / He's snuggled up close with his family of ten. / But now that the moon is beginning to rise, / the kits are all starting to open their eyes." A cutaway in the earth reveals a simply drawn, softly colored family of red foxes (no teeth are visible as the parents smile benevolently). Finnegan is already subtly different, his coat a slightly lighter hue and his eyes tightly shut. When Mama announces that it's time for the kits' first outing, Finnegan's seven siblings are excited, but an uncertain Finnegan whispers to Mama that he's not ready to leave the den. So Finnegan and Mama stay home while Papa and the others venture out, occasionally returning to invite Finnegan to join them--especially for fresh raspberries by the creek. The beauty of the text--enhanced by Nichols' stylized, gently humorous, folk art-esque illustrations--lies in the wisdom of the anxious kit's family members. They encourage Finnegan to come outside but also give him the space and time to make that decision on his own terms. The book closes with an eloquent author's note in which Gilstrap discusses her childhood experiences with agoraphobia. A sweet confidence builder.(Picture book. 3-7)
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August 30, 2024
PreS-K-Finnegan Fox, one of eight fox siblings, is awakened by his family one evening with the exciting news that the big night has arrived: it is time for the little foxes to make a first trip out of the foxhole. Finnegan is not ready. In rhyming iambic tetrameter, Gilstrap demonstrates how the supportive and patient family members understand and respect Finnegan's need to wait until he is ready to venture out of the safe and familiar. Full of simple emotional intelligence, the narrative helps children grasp that peers may need time before tackling new things, and that all that is required of them is patience and support. An author's note at the back connects Gilstrap's childhood experience with agoraphobia to the social needs amongst community members; Gilstrap makes a compelling case for adding this to school collections with a dearth of books on the subject. Illustrations in a palette of blues, pinks, and earth tones gently convey the coziness of the woodland scenes and provide striking contrast to the bright orange of the foxes in this winter scene. In pen, ink, gouache, and acrylic digital scenes, Nichols succeeds at bringing a moonlit night in the woods to life. VERDICT A welcome addition for younger readers, who may be just beginning to understand that everyone is ready for new things, but on their own timetables.-Jessica Fenster-Sparber
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