Review by Booklist Review
Fox sits on the beach with a sturdy wooden toybox. What Fox really wants, however, is a boat. He watches wistfully as sailboats bob in the sea beyond. He tries using his beautifully voluminous tail as a sail to no avail. Meanwhile, his mouse friend has strung together a tiny sail, which inspires Fox to barter for a larger version of his own that he attaches to the toybox. Fox and mouse soon set off into the water, and the journey goes well until they are overcome by a storm. Alert readers will have seen the dark clouds forming and gathering strength over the course of the book, and now the weather builds to a swirling climax of hail and gale. Full-bleed acrylic paintings wonderfully convey Fox's changing fortunes. Shifting visual perspectives follow him through contemplation, action, success, danger, and rescue. The text, employing rhythm, rhyme, and sound-work, is comprised only of singular words and short phrases, making this appealing picture book accessible to emergent readers.--Lucinda Whitehurst Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
With an abundance of color and texture, Ivinsons rich acrylics create vivid characters, a seaside setting, and a dramatic story around a handful of words, as a fox tries mightily to turn a wooden box into a seaworthy vessel. A first attempt to sail the box using the foxs wild, bushy tail as a sail ends poorly: Fox. Box. Sail. Tail. Oh no! Tail sail fail. But the would-be sailor will not be discouraged. The fox acquires a real sail and, after a little handiwork and a shaky startand accompanied by a faithful mouse companionlaunches the craft (Boat. Float). Unfortunately, a storm is brewing, and the inexperienced sailors get caught in it. The contrast between the foxs huge red tail and the dark blue waves tossing the little box is electric. The fox and mouse manage to stay afloat but find themselves lost at sea, and a double-page spread with an aerial view provides perspective on the tiny box in a vast ocean. Shouting for help finally brings rescue in the form of a big blue whale. All the creatures depicted throughout the story burst with energy and personality, which allows those sharing the book together to extend the minimal text into an exciting adventure. The punchy words play with phonics and rhyme to create an enjoyable read-aloud as well as opportunities for new readers, and those sounding out their first words, to find success. julie roach (c) Copyright 2019. 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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Fox's adventuregoing out to sea in a box equipped with a sailis exciting and easy to read.Ivinson tells her story in 46 simple words. Five or fewer words appear on each double-page spread in a generous font set against the bright seaside scenes of Fox's exploits. While other animals seem to have real boats, small dinghies in which they are messing about on the ocean, Fox has only a box. Fox has an expressive face, bright reddish-orange fur, and a big bushy tail, and they sport a blue-striped sailor shirt without pants. Determined to set sail, Fox pushes out to sea, bushy tail for a rudder, just as dark clouds brew into a storm. A small mouse goes along for the voyage. Ivinson's full-color acrylic-paint artwork calls attention to itself in an interesting way, reproduced so that brush strokes and the grain and texture of canvas are clearly shown. One effect is to encourage viewers to slow down, though another is to create a slightly static feel in what is clearly a lively adventure. Still, the paintings of storm, waves, and the small boat and occupants alone on a vast expanse of sea are pretty thrilling, as is the rescue by a big blue whale, and varying perspectives keep the action going. Dramatic and accessible for new readers. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
