Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

With winter fast approaching, geese know to fly away and bears know to hibernate, but a red fox is at a loss. One by one, animals offer the fox advice, and one by one the fox rejects their suggestions. -Gather, gather, gather./ Then quick,/ quick,/ hide everything away,- says a squirrel. -That won-t do for me,- the fox muses. -I don-t even like acorns.- Eventually, another red fox shows up with an idea that works: -When a million snowflakes/ fill the air,/ twirling,/ tumbling,/ spinning,/ waltzing,/ you and I/ join them.- Bauer-s verselike text pairs gracefully with smudgy and similarly understated scenes from British illustrator Jones: the text and artwork work in tandem to suggest the hushed onset of winter while carrying readers forward with the swiftness of a snow flurry. Ages 4-7. Author-s agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. Illustrator-s agent: Arabella Stein, Bright Group. (Oct.)

School Library Journal (Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

PreS-Gr 2 Winter approaches with the arrival of a solitary snowflake, while a young red fox questions what to do when the air grows colder and the ground slowly covers with snow. A softly painted palette that gently mimics a snowy landscape presents the change in seasons and the still quiet of nature through varied perspectives as, one by one, the fox asks the creatures of the forest, "What should I do?" Each answers with the instinct or innate behavior of their specieshelpful advice comes from a caterpillar, turtle, bat, squirrel, goose, and snowshoe hare. Lastly, a "great black bear," advises "Curl beneath the roots of a toppled balsam tree, and tuck all your growls away." No advice seems quite right until another fox invites him to watch as "a million snowflakes fill the air" and join in a celebratory dance. Inspired by the author's discovery of the foxes' dance in the woods of the North, the descriptive, lyrical text and its placement imitate the dance's movement. VERDICT A suggested first purchase suitable for young readers in libraries and classrooms studying seasons and animal behavior. Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

As winter begins to set in, a curious fox wonders what he ought to do. Winter is coming—a snowflake has just fallen on the nose of the "fine red fox"—and he wonders what he should do. With each page turn, he encounters a critter that gives him advice. A caterpillar tells him to wrap himself in a chrysalis and become a butterfly in the spring, but the fox replies that he was "not meant to fly." The bat tells him to find a cave, hang by his toes, and go to sleep, but the fox says his "toes would get tired." The squirrel tells him to "gather, gather, gather," but the fox replies, "I don't even like acorns." In this cheerful way, readers follow the fox through his rambles while learning what different creatures do during the winter. Bauer's free-verse narrative is sprightly and accomplished, with a playful touch and earnest humor. Jones' full-page illustrations, done in rich, muted earth tones, are stunningly designed and executed—the hare is particularly effective—while the book's illustrated endpapers amplify the story with satisfying detail. What the fox ultimately finds to do may surprise readers, but it is, like the rest of the book, based in fact. An exemplary addition to the shelves of nature-themed picture books. (Picture book. 3-6)

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

As winter begins to set in, a curious fox wonders what he ought to do. Winter is coming—a snowflake has just fallen on the nose of the "fine red fox"—and he wonders what he should do. With each page turn, he encounters a critter that gives him advice. A caterpillar tells him to wrap himself in a chrysalis and become a butterfly in the spring, but the fox replies that he was "not meant to fly." The bat tells him to find a cave, hang by his toes, and go to sleep, but the fox says his "toes would get tired." The squirrel tells him to "gather, gather, gather," but the fox replies, "I don't even like acorns." In this cheerful way, readers follow the fox through his rambles while learning what different creatures do during the winter. Bauer's free-verse narrative is sprightly and accomplished, with a playful touch and earnest humor. Jones' full-page illustrations, done in rich, muted earth tones, are stunningly designed and executed—the hare is particularly effective—while the book's illustrated endpapers amplify the story with satisfying detail. What the fox ultimately finds to do may surprise readers, but it is, like the rest of the book, based in fact. An exemplary addition to the shelves of nature-themed picture books. (Picture book. 3-6)

Starred Review ALA Booklist (Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Starred Review When a snowflake lands on the head of a red fox, he knows it's time to prepare for winter. But what he doesn't know is how he should go about doing that. So he sets off through the woods, asking a variety of creatures for advice ne of which is particularly suitable for a fox. A furry caterpillar recommends he make himself a chrysalis. A turtle suggests that he swim to the bottom of a pond and bury himself in mud. In every case, the exchange ends with the animal doing "just that," sending the fox onward in his quest. As he talks with geese, a bear, a squirrel, bats, and a snowshoe hare, young readers get a glimpse of how the forest as a whole prepares for the winter season. The regular pattern of Bauer's text provides excellent support for prereaders, while remaining sweetly simple. However, it's Jones' soft-lined, textured illustrations that steal the show, as they cast beautiful forest scenes across the page, using a cool wintry palette against which the fox's orangey-red fur pops. Eventually, the fox finds another of his kind, who has the answer to his question, providing a lovely finish to this finely crafted winter's tale.