Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke [Paperback]

Pamela Duncan Edwards (Author), Henry Cole (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 1997 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

One Fine Fox

Four famished foxes make fun of their brother Fosdyke, who feels fondly for fried figs, fennel, and French bread. Leaving him behind to fry and flambé, they go foraging for fowl in a forbidden farmyard. Unfortunately, the foxes find the fowl forwarned. Foiled, they return to their den. Will they ever filch a fabulous farmyard feast? Or will they forgo fowl and finally admit that "a fox is a fox whatever the food"?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A fox who flambees and fillets? Unfeasible? Not according to this alliterative tale, which introduces chef Fosdyke and his four siblings: Frank, Floyd, Freddy and Flo. When the quintet's mother scurries off for a five-day trip to Florida, all the young foxes but Fosdyke decide to "filch fowl from the farmyard" for food. But on repeated raids of the henhouse (conducted on February 4 at the F-filled times of 4:15, 4:45 and 5:15 a.m.), they come up empty-pawed. Fortunately, an apron-clad Fosdyke has prepared a feast of fries, fungi, fish and figs, which his siblings warm to after their final failure at fetching fowl. ("What fascinating flavors," they cry.) Cole's (illustrator of Some Small Slugs, also by Edwards) ink and pastel illustrations of masked foxes, egg-throwing chickens and bandaged tails add a healthy dose of energetic humor to the tongue-twister text. The book also offers a challenge?"How many objects beginning with the letter 'F' can you find in this book?"?for those who feel finding F's is fantastically fun. Ages 4-9.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?A family of fox kits, left to fend for themselves when their mother sets off on a trip to Florida, plot to "...filch fowl from the farmyard." Between 4:15 and 5:15 a.m., they make three unsuccessful forays, winding up on the short end of the stick whether dealing with feathered fowl, a ferocious foxhound, or a furious farmer. Fortunately, their Francophile brother, Fosdyke, has stayed at home and prepared a delicious meal of flan, french fries, and figs. The foxes, whose expressive faces fade from bright-eyed mischievousness to frazzled chagrin, are engaging characters, and the nighttime scenes of the farm are effectively noir, but the device of using so many "F" words wears thin well before the story does. The sound gag will also make reading the book aloud a formidable tongue-twisting task. Young browsers may enjoy looking for the 60-plus items beginning with the letter "F." Or, they may just become frustrated.?Anna DeWind, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (April 11, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006443480X
• ISBN-13: 978-0064434805
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #237,456 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Foxes & Wolves > Fiction
  • #96 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Baby-3 > Basic Concepts > Words

More About the Author

Pamela Duncan Edwards grew up in the Wirral, but has spent most of her adult life in the USA. She worked as a children's librarian before becoming a writer and is now the bestselling author of over 30 children's books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big laughs for little kids !!!, October 9, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke (Library Binding)

Mr. Cole is my science teacher. He's very funny and it shows in this book. Mrs. Edwards is my library teacher. This is a great book for anyone who wants to laugh and have a good time. Little kids will read it again and again! I did

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars vocabulary builder, September 1, 2001

By 

The Accidental Reader "The Accidental Reader" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke (Paperback)

What a great way to build vocabulary in your little one! One of the chief reasons to read to your child is to introduce that child to wonderful words that are not necessarily part of your speaking repertoire, and that your child would not hear frequently otherwise. Although you are going to LOVE Cole's imaginative illustrations, and Edwards' cute story, as well as the lovely alliterative rhythms, what you may appreciate most is that this book contains many words that your child may not yet be familiar with. Read Four Famished Foxes with Fosdyke a few times to your favorite child, and you will find that the fountain of fabulous words will spark new speech from your special little loved one.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Cole's Drawings are COOL, July 20, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke (Paperback)

Mr Cole is not my teacher (I came to the school after he would have been my teacher), but he taught all of my friends and I have met him. I think this is a cool book and everyone should read it, no matter how old they are