ALA Booklist (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

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 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.

Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Ivinson's rich acrylics create a dramatic story around a handful of words. A fox's first attempt to turn a wooden box into a seaworthy vessel ends poorly, but after a little handiwork--and with a faithful mouse companion--he launches ("Boat. Float"). Unfortunately, a storm is brewing... The creatures burst with energy and personality, and the punchy words play with phonics and rhyme to create an enjoyable read-aloud.

Kirkus Reviews

Fox's adventure—going out to sea in a box equipped with a sail—is 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)