Review by Booklist Review
In another wonderful addition to the Fox I Can Read series, Fox is going to make a friend (maybe). A new (arctic) fox is on the scene, and Fox is skeptical about her bona fides. So begins a series of challenges to test her foxiness that includes doing tricks (she matches his skateboarding skills with a snowboarding flip), being sneaky, and high-jumping (Fox in his rocket pack, Arctic Fox in springy shoes). Unfortunately, the latter positions the pair over a lake for their landing, giving rise to the urgent question, "Can foxes swim?" Happily, the answer is yes, and surviving the adventure morphs the characters' status from rivals to friends. Clocking in at the "Shared Reading" level for emergent readers, the book features one short sentence of dialogue on most pages and plenty of repetition. The sweet and sometimes silly illustrations--rendered in pencil, colored pencil, and watercolors--complement the narrative, reflecting both the subtly devious plot and story's gentle spirit.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Tabor does it again, with a charming addition to the much loved "Fox" series. Beginning readers will delight in the hilarious story of two foxes who ultimately discover they are more alike than different. When a woodland fox encounters an arctic fox for the first time, he struggles to comprehend that they can both be foxes. They look so different! The woodland fox begins listing all of the things foxes are able to do, like jumping very high, doing neat tricks, and being sneaky. The frustration grows when the arctic fox demonstrates the ability to do all of the same things--just differently! The competition gets more and more intense between the two, until they find themselves in a situation where they need a friend. The woodland fox offers a truce, and the two walk into the sunset with their arms around each other. Short sentences along with repeating words and phrases make this book a fantastic choice for shared reading between an adult and child. VERDICT It's rare to find an early transitional reader with a captivating plot, humor, and illustrations that also maintains an easy reading level, but this title does all of that and more.--Ellen Kleber
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Two foxes challenge each other and become friends in this beginning reader. A white fox and a red fox are startled to realize that they're both named "Fox." The red fox is determined to show off all of its foxy skills: It's sneaky, it can do tricks, and it can jump. It's clear from the white fox's delighted expression that, far from being intimidated by the red fox's impressive talents, the white fox finds them positively wonderful and wants to play together. If the red fox grinds down a stairway on its skateboard (wearing a helmet, of course), then the white fox applauds, appearing genuinely pleased--before upping the ante by soaring through the air on a snowboard. Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed a rocket pack on the title page, and indeed, the slightly competitive play of Fox and Fox escalates (literally). Two sparsely illustrated double-page spreads complete the cheery rise and fall of their competition. "Two characters are friends" is a classic of the limited-vocabulary beginning reader for a reason, and the lovely artwork, sketched out in simple lines, does the well-trodden tropes justice. The red fox's superciliousness and the white fox's indefatigable happiness come through clearly. Visuals and text featuring repetition and simplicity will charm while building reading skills. A winning tale of two pals engaged in a safely silly competition. (Early reader. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
