Kirkus Review
Fox and Pig have some fun--and laughs--in the sun. Perky pals Fox and Pig, with Fox's doll (Mister Fox) in tow, decide to head to the beach. Pig enjoys napping (and slurping on a refreshing beverage). Fox, on the other hand, prefers to dig. While Pig slumbers, Fox attempts to trick his porcine friend by making a sand sculpture of himself and pretending to be buried under it. That scheme ultimately backfires, but Fox isn't deterred. He tries again. This time he digs a hole to hide in, throws Mister Fox into the sea, and screams for help. As the tide comes in, Fox's hole fills with water, and he uses a straw to breathe. Pig isn't fooled--"I know THAT fox is just a doll"--and decides to cool off by jumping into the small pool. Oh no. He lands on a lump. Is that Fox underneath him or a creature from the sea? As with others in this series, color-coded speech bubbles, rhymes, and word repetition help support (and entertain) emerging readers. Fenske uses a simple, limited vocabulary, with a few longer words such as underneath, creature, and COWABUNGA. This three-part romp (more like two with a short third) takes familiar characters to a summery new setting. The silent crab character provides extra comedic relief while witnessing the cartoonish antics. A breath of fresh air for the series. (Early reader. 5-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission. |