“It is spring. / In the forest, among the roots / of a great oak tree in a brown earthen den, / a baby fox is born.” With her trademark blend of vivid language and soothing tone, Banks chronicles passing days and changing seasons as she details skills the young fox is learning from its parents and his eagerness to explore the wider world on his own. The brief narrative’s emotional refrain comes in two lyrical lines that are never identical but reference one another rhythmically and thematically, affirming—in different ways—that time brings change and growth. That sense of growth, change, and security imbedded in the story is echoed in Georg Hallenslaben’s warm, richly colored and textured paintings, which further suggest ways the fox is growing to maturity and readying himself to meet the ever-changing world. (Ages 3–6)

Art by a talented German-born illustrator distinguishes this lyrical story. Born in the spring, baby fox grows through the ripening summer, learning from his mother and father to forage, hunt, and protect himself, until at last he is ready to live on his own. Impressionistic paintings in lush, harmonious colors portray the loving fox family and the changing moods of the country side, from moonlit forest to sun-drenched fields. Little Fox’s repeated ques tion, “Am I ready yet?” resonates with children longing for competence . mac