In Fox on Wheels, written by Edward Marshall and illustrated by
James Marshall, the frisky young protagonist of several Dial
Easy-to-Read books appear in conjunction with several types of wheels.
Some - a bike and skateboard - are of the sort you would expect for a
spunky lad, but others are less conventional and consequently more
amusing. Over the course of three stories of about 15 pages in length,
we get half a dozen different types of wheels and many laughs to go
around.
Doctor Fox once again finds Fox looking after his troublesome little sister Louise. I'm guessing this book came shortly after Fox and His Friends;
his expectant mom of that book is now a proud parents of four: Fox,
Louise and a pair of newborn twins. She is equally preoccupied in this
book, and as a result Fox must forgo fun with his friends in favor of
Louise. Except he's not a very attentive baby-sitter, and Louise takes a
tumble when he's not looking. Fox's attitude is irritating throughout
the first half of this story, but following the mishap, he is genuinely
remorseful, and it's nice to see him - in a series of touching half-page
illustrations - take such great care of his sister. Even if she doesn't
need quite as much care as she lets on...
In Fox and the Grapes,
while bike-riding in the park, Fox is tempted by the bunch of grapes
his friend Millie dangles from a branch high above his head. I feel
sorry for Fox in this story because he's so frightfully afraid of
heights. For all his bravado, he's actually a wimp in many situations.
But he's also very stubborn, so he is determined to find a way to
conquer his fear.
Mom's out to ruin Fox's fun again in Fox on Wheels.
This time, she offers him options: watch Louise or go to the store. Fox
goes for the latter and soon is glad, since his friends have been sent
on similar missions. Maybe the grocery store can be fun after all! The
calamitous pictures accompanying the store scenes are hilarious, but
youngsters will probably be deterred from following suit by the
marvelous end of this story. For when the fun he and his friends devise
disrupts several shoppers, Fox soon falls victim to his mother's acerbic
wit as she concocts the perfect punishment.
I really love Fox's mom, and she has a starring role in two of the three stories. That's certainly a reason Fox on Wheels
is one of my favorite Fox books thus far. It isn't easy to keep such a
rambunctious youngster in line, but she manages it with cleverness and
humor. With her keeping an eye on him, Fox is sure to come out all right
in the end. In the meantime, it sure it fun to laugh at his
mis-steps...
Showing posts with label Edward Marshall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edward Marshall. Show all posts
Friday, February 23, 2007
Seven Days of Fox is Seven Days of Fun
It's strange how quickly a week passes, and often at the end of it, recalling the events of each day is a difficult task. In Fox All Week,
written by Edward Marshall and illustrated by James Marshall, something
of significance happens to Fox every day. It may be a small event, but
it's enough to make it worth noting, and reading of this young
protagonist's daily exploits might make young readers more eager to
point out the especially bright or dreary moments in their own days.
The book is one of a series of Dial Easy-to-Read books about an everyfox with an obvious name, his pesky little sister Louise, his sly mother and his friends, most notably a pig named Dexter and a frog named Carmen. While most of these entertaining books contain three stories of 15 to 20 pages in length, Fox All Week has seven, none of which exceeds 10 pages. Though they are very brief, however, that does not make the tales any less engaging.
In Monday Morning, Fox's week seems to be off to a bad start when rain dampens his hopes of a promised field trip. To add insult to injury, he feels a sore throat coming on. What a pain! At least it gets him out of school, and with this rotten weather, there can't be anything fun happening... Can there? I love the picture of a pajama-clad Fox glaring out at the rain with beady eyes and an irritation-induced unibrow. I've been there, my furry friend...
Tuesday's Lunch serves as an affirmation that picky eating is not an affliction known only to me. Fox, Dexter and Carmen reject their lunches of tuna fish sandwiches, a meal I lost my taste for years ago, probably once we got a cat and tuna fish began reminding me of canned cat food. But they must learn the hard way the consequences of going lunchless all through the day...
Wednesday Evening at the Library is an extra-short story with an extra-long title. Fox has a case of the giggles, which is a bad thing to have in a library. Miss Pencil, the librarian, does not approve, and she kicks Fox and his friends out. But what will she do with herself once she's all alone in such a solemn place?
In Thursday After School, Fox and his friends find a box of cigars, and Fox claims he smokes them all the time. But is his word to be trusted? I find this story rather gross, but the green-hued Dexter puffing away gives me the giggles.
The Friday Dinner provides the revelation that Mom - whose tongue sticks out in all but one illustration in this story - is not a good cook. Fox steps up to save the day. But what culinary concoction could merit such a racket in the kitchen?
The Saturday Visit amusingly illustrates Fox's reluctance to wear fancy clothes and his ability to be smitten by a pretty vixen. Both complicate a trip to see Grannie - apparently a different one than the silver-haired daredevil of Fox on Stage - on her birthday.
Sunday Evening introduces us to another friend, a fox named Raisin wearing a bag over her head to hide her new braces. Will her friends ridicule her ruthlessly, as she expects?
All of these situations have applicability to many children of an age to read this book on their own, and the writing is just as witty as it is brief, with colorfully silly illustrations to match. Fox is a laugh and a half all week long!
The book is one of a series of Dial Easy-to-Read books about an everyfox with an obvious name, his pesky little sister Louise, his sly mother and his friends, most notably a pig named Dexter and a frog named Carmen. While most of these entertaining books contain three stories of 15 to 20 pages in length, Fox All Week has seven, none of which exceeds 10 pages. Though they are very brief, however, that does not make the tales any less engaging.
In Monday Morning, Fox's week seems to be off to a bad start when rain dampens his hopes of a promised field trip. To add insult to injury, he feels a sore throat coming on. What a pain! At least it gets him out of school, and with this rotten weather, there can't be anything fun happening... Can there? I love the picture of a pajama-clad Fox glaring out at the rain with beady eyes and an irritation-induced unibrow. I've been there, my furry friend...
Tuesday's Lunch serves as an affirmation that picky eating is not an affliction known only to me. Fox, Dexter and Carmen reject their lunches of tuna fish sandwiches, a meal I lost my taste for years ago, probably once we got a cat and tuna fish began reminding me of canned cat food. But they must learn the hard way the consequences of going lunchless all through the day...
Wednesday Evening at the Library is an extra-short story with an extra-long title. Fox has a case of the giggles, which is a bad thing to have in a library. Miss Pencil, the librarian, does not approve, and she kicks Fox and his friends out. But what will she do with herself once she's all alone in such a solemn place?
In Thursday After School, Fox and his friends find a box of cigars, and Fox claims he smokes them all the time. But is his word to be trusted? I find this story rather gross, but the green-hued Dexter puffing away gives me the giggles.
The Friday Dinner provides the revelation that Mom - whose tongue sticks out in all but one illustration in this story - is not a good cook. Fox steps up to save the day. But what culinary concoction could merit such a racket in the kitchen?
The Saturday Visit amusingly illustrates Fox's reluctance to wear fancy clothes and his ability to be smitten by a pretty vixen. Both complicate a trip to see Grannie - apparently a different one than the silver-haired daredevil of Fox on Stage - on her birthday.
Sunday Evening introduces us to another friend, a fox named Raisin wearing a bag over her head to hide her new braces. Will her friends ridicule her ruthlessly, as she expects?
All of these situations have applicability to many children of an age to read this book on their own, and the writing is just as witty as it is brief, with colorfully silly illustrations to match. Fox is a laugh and a half all week long!
Monday, February 19, 2007
Fox is a Fine Sort of Friend to Have
I've been enjoying the books of James Marshall for years, and I just
happened upon his series of tales about a likable young fox and his
friends and relations. Fox and His Friends is part of this
series, though it was actually written by his cousin Edward, who
collaborated with him on several projects. The light tone is consistent
with other books in the series, which are included in the line of Dial
Easy-to-Read books, and James' amusing illustrations perfectly
complement the simple sentences.
In this book are three stories concerning Fox's interaction with his friends Dexter, Carmen, Junior and Betty, a pig, a frog, a dog and a crocodile. Poor Fox, having such an unimaginative name; even his little sister fares better with the name Louise. But at least there's no chance of us forgetting which one he is...
The first and longest story (20 pages as opposed to 15) is Fox in Trouble, in which Fox is irritated when his mother, who, judging by her expansive middle, is about ready to add another member to the Fox family clan, insists that he entertain Louise for the day. What's worse, none of his friends are available, so there's nothing for him to do but spend the day with his little sister as a tag-along, which is no easy task since she has a way of getting into mischief. Can Fox avoid the blame for the messes she gets herself into?
In Fox All Wet, poor Fox must look after Louise again, this time during his afternoon at the swimming pool. At least this time he has his friends to cheer him up, but they aren't much consolation when Louise climbs up to the tippy-top of a very tall ladder and threatens to jump from the diving board at the top. What's an older brother to do?
In Fox on Duty, Fox's responsibilities are of a rather different nature. This time, he doesn't have Louise to worry about. Instead, it's his job as a crossing guard, which he takes very seriously. When his friends come along and invite him to join them at the beach, Fox is tempted enough to go with them. But how will he silence that nagging conscience of his?
Fox and His Friends is an enjoyable book for early readers that entertains while also imparting valuable lessons about the conflict between recreation and responsibility. Three cheers for Fox!
In this book are three stories concerning Fox's interaction with his friends Dexter, Carmen, Junior and Betty, a pig, a frog, a dog and a crocodile. Poor Fox, having such an unimaginative name; even his little sister fares better with the name Louise. But at least there's no chance of us forgetting which one he is...
The first and longest story (20 pages as opposed to 15) is Fox in Trouble, in which Fox is irritated when his mother, who, judging by her expansive middle, is about ready to add another member to the Fox family clan, insists that he entertain Louise for the day. What's worse, none of his friends are available, so there's nothing for him to do but spend the day with his little sister as a tag-along, which is no easy task since she has a way of getting into mischief. Can Fox avoid the blame for the messes she gets herself into?
In Fox All Wet, poor Fox must look after Louise again, this time during his afternoon at the swimming pool. At least this time he has his friends to cheer him up, but they aren't much consolation when Louise climbs up to the tippy-top of a very tall ladder and threatens to jump from the diving board at the top. What's an older brother to do?
In Fox on Duty, Fox's responsibilities are of a rather different nature. This time, he doesn't have Louise to worry about. Instead, it's his job as a crossing guard, which he takes very seriously. When his friends come along and invite him to join them at the beach, Fox is tempted enough to go with them. But how will he silence that nagging conscience of his?
Fox and His Friends is an enjoyable book for early readers that entertains while also imparting valuable lessons about the conflict between recreation and responsibility. Three cheers for Fox!
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