Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

It's a windy day, which spoils Argyle Fox's outdoor play: his cards blow away, and ditto his yarn spider web, his paper pirate hat, and his cardboard knight's castle. Finally, Argyle comes up with a better plan: making and flying a kite. The illustrations are attractive but busy, and the story is extremely predictable.

ALA Booklist (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

"Sometimes in early spring, the wind whips down the mountainside and through the trees," where Argyle Fox lives. Despite his mother's warnings about the wind, the fox is persistent when it comes to playing outside. First, Argyle creates a card tower. But as he's adding the final touches OOSH" e wind blows it over. Although his mom and friends advise him otherwise, Argyle insists on doing things his way. Unfortunately, his ideas of making a spider web, a pirate ship, and a castle come to no avail. "Gah! Stupid, stupid, STUPID wind! I'm going home!" After some encouragement from his mom, Argyle comes up with the perfect solution. Anticipation is key to Letourneau's simple, engaging plot. Closing many pages with the cliff-hanger, "But just then . . . ," the story will engage youngsters as they await the wind's effects on Argyle's games. Amid playful scenes punctuated with Argyle's frustration, Letourneau balances her story with cozy, inviting idyllic forest and home scenes, as well as stylized figures and warm colors. A great read-aloud about perseverance and creative thinking.

School Library Journal (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

PreS-Gr 2Argyle Fox has a problem. He dons his classic diamond-patterned outerwear to play outdoors, but it is too windy in the forest. Every time he thinks of an activity, the wind comes along and "Woosh!"it all gets blown away! Argyle becomes frustrated and grumpy when things don't go his way. In the end, though, he learns that he just needs a little creativity and flexibility to have some fun. With his emphatic exclamations and imaginative role-playing, Argyle has a fully realized personality. The artwork is rich, engaging, and filled with endearing details. The other forest creatures, such as a gardening badger in overalls and a little blue bird with a pirate eye patch, are particularly charming. This is a cautionary tale that can provide social and emotional lessons for children who are easily frustrated or angered. As Argyle discovers, there is always a way to make the best out of a seemingly tough situation. VERDICT A perfect story for a windy day; the illustrations shine in this charismatic read-aloud addition to picture book collections.Alyssa Annico, Youngstown State University, OH

Kirkus Reviews

Outdoor playtime can be a challenge, but not for a clever and artistic fox.The titular fox lives in a forest filled with springtime winds. Argyle decides, nonetheless, that he would like to play outdoors, but his choice of activities is bedeviled by those winds. "Wooosh": his stack of cards blows away. "Wooosh": he's blown into the spiderweb he's made. "Wooosh": his pirate hat blows away, his soccer ball lands far out of bounds, and finally his castle collapses. The other animals did warn him, and at last, he gathers up his playthings and returns home. His mother tells him that if he thinks about it, the perfect pastime will occur to him. After some thought, it does. Argyle gathers up his yarn, paint, and tape, goes outdoors, and flies his handmade kite with a resounding "wooosh." Letourneau's animal characters are appealing, and the settings are busily colorful, with greens, blues, and oranges filling the pages. The final spread is endearing as Argyle shares, at no cost, his artistry and hands out kites to the other forest creatures—a squirrel gets one with an acorn, and a beaver gets one with a tree. Argyle ably demonstrates that if you build it yourself, you and your friends will have a great time. (Picture book. 3-6)