The Secret Life of the Red Fox

by Laurence Pringle, Kate Garchinsky (Illustrator)

Overview

This gorgeous and lyrical picture book follows a year in the life of a red fox named Vixen.

Kids will learn about a common backyard neighbor as they read how Vixen finds food, hunts, escapes threats, finds a mate, and raises her kits—all the way to the day that she and her mate watch their kits head off to lead their own secret lives. Stunning, realistic illustrations celebrate the beauty of these mysterious creatures as readers learn important facts through an engaging and fascinating story. The book also includes back matter with more in-depth information, a glossary, and further resources.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629792606
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	03/07/2017
Series:	The Secret Life
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,021,528
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Laurence Pringle has written more than one hundred books for children, including the Strange and Wonderful series and most recently, The Secret Life of the Red Fox, among other award-winning science titles. Internationally, his books have sold more than three million copies. He lives in West Nyack, New York. laurencepringle.com.

Kate Garchinsky illustrates children's books and educational media in her studio in the woodlands west of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kate is a fellowship recipient of the Don and Virginia Eckelberry Endowment for nature artists at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Prior to creating children's books, Kate designed toys, apps, birdbaths, and trail maps. She lives with her husband Brian, Julia and Spencer the cats, and her one-eyed beagle, Maggie May. Get to know her more at kategarchinsky.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ "This intimate and personal view...is chronicled through a beautifully cohesive relationship between text and illustration. Facts and definitions are seamlessly woven into the narrative. ...The art...convey(s) intensity and precision... (and) fuels the foxlike moments with emotion. A rich reading experience awaits those who pick up this title." —School Library Journal, starred review

"Visually captivating introduction to the red fox's secret life...Pringle thoughtfully explains how red foxes are canines, omnivores and predators...with specialized vocabulary printed in italics in the narrative and defined in a glossary. Intimate scenes...alternate with panoramic vistas, capturing the essence of the red fox and her world...(the) illustrations add depth, drama, and detail to the informative, entertaining text." —Kirkus Reviews

"This nonfiction book gives the reader a taste of the day-to-day activities of Vixen the red fox in an inviting story format. Detailed descriptions draw the reader into Vixen's daily routine...(and) the author provides accurate information, using words that assist in building a strong vocabulary. Students will enjoy picking up this book and exploring the world of the red fox. Recommended." —School Library Connection

From the Publisher

★ 01/01/2017
Gr 1–4—Beginning on a snowy afternoon in February and ending in early autumn, this book centers on a fox named Vixen as she explores her habitat, hunts, runs from danger, and starts a family. This intimate and personal view into Vixen's life is chronicled through a beautifully cohesive relationship between text and illustration. Facts and definitions are seamlessly woven into the narrative. When Vixen sniffs the air, readers learn that "a fox is a canine, related to dogs and wolves. Canines have super sensitive noses and ears. Vixen can smell faint odors and hear tiny sounds that a human would never hear." Readers later witness a combination of Vixen's senses put to use when she leaps and dives to capture a mouse hidden underneath a foot of snow. Conveying the intensity and precision of this specific hunt, the art, rendered with pastels and aqua crayons on sanded paper, also fuels the foxlike moments with emotion, from Vixen and her mate's tender nuzzle to the curiosity and playfulness of her four kits. Additional facts are located in the back matter. VERDICT A rich reading experience awaits those who pick up this title about an animal that is not only currently trending in popular and kid lit culture (Disney's Zootopia, Sara Pennypacker's Pax) but is also a perennial favorite.—Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

2016-12-14
This yearlong chronicle explores the physical attributes, habits, and habitat of the red fox. While "her long, fluffy tail covers her body like a blanket," Vixen, a red fox, is oblivious to the February snows. With her acute senses of smell and hearing, Vixen hunts in winter and forages plant foods the rest of the year. Because she prefers hunting at dawn and dusk, Vixen's life remains secret. As spring approaches, Vixen and her mate "stay in touch," marking their territory. After making a den in an abandoned burrow, Vixen gives birth to four kits, nurturing them for four weeks while her mate brings her food. After the kits emerge, they spend the summer learning to hunt and eventually depart to claim their own territories. Through the narrative about Vixen, Pringle thoughtfully explains how red foxes are canines, omnivores, and predators, including just enough specifics on hunting, mating, and parenting, with specialized vocabulary printed in italics in the narrative and defined in a glossary. Rendered in muted pastels and aqua crayons on sanded paper, the impressionistically fuzzy but otherwise realistic illustrations add depth, drama, and detail to the informative, entertaining text. Intimate scenes of Vixen alternate with panoramic vistas, capturing the essence of the red fox and her world. A "More About the Red Fox" section supplements the text. Visually captivating introduction to the red fox's secret life. (bibliography) (Informational picture book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews