Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Three new, entertaining episodes about the fox siblings, just right for beginning readers. On entering the movie theater to see Secret Agent Fox, Ivy expresses anxiety about viewing the loud and scary parts, but her big sister offers reassurance. Once the action scenes begin, Ivy and her friend Eugene are enthralled while Zelda spends lots of time on the floor looking for a vague "something" as she chants "It's just a movie, it's just a movie." In the next chapter, the young foxes choose secret agent names and investigate their neighbor Mrs. Brownlie, who is suspiciously wearing goggles. When she discovers the trio behind her hedge she invites them to join her for freshly baked cookies. Eugene marks the "case closed" when the woman mentions that the gear protects her eyes while she mows the lawn. In the final episode, the friends nearly cancel their campout when it begins to rain, but Zelda states: "Just like a good secret agent, a good planner always has a backup plan....We're going to camp IN." The distinctive gouache resist illustrations add lots of humorous details and textual clues for beginning readers. A wonderful addition to the series for existing fans or new readers.-Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Zelda and Ivy, the foxiest sisters in children's literature, are back to entertain the Not Quite Ready for Chapter Books set. As usual (see Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways, rev. 7/06), their independent personalities take center stage in three episodic stories. When Ivy goes to the cinema to see Secret Agent Fox with Zelda and their friend Eugene, she's worried she will get scared; instead, it's big sister Zelda who's spooked and chants the advice she'd given Ivy -- "It's just a movie, it's just a movie." The trio decides to become spies: after scoping out neighbor Mrs. Brownlie (why is she wearing goggles?) and forming a hypothesis (how about that for a concept in a beginning reader?), they join Mrs. B. for lemonade and cookies -- and learn the answer to the mystery. A thunderstorm thwarts plans for an outdoor sleepover, but a little ingenuity allows them to create the experience inside, s'mores and all. The bold colors, fox red, deep purple, and gold, reflect the characters' strong, confident attitudes. Like James Marshall, Kvasnosky deftly tweaks her pen-and-ink lines to express each character's emotions. betty carter (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
