One Fine Day [Library Binding]

Noni Hogrogian (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

A delightful telling makes this story of a greedy fox's adventure as catchy as a nursery rhyme. Crisp, happy pictures add to the fun. Inspired by an Armenian folktale, the rhythmic, cumulative text will have small listeners "reading along" and matching words to pictures well before the story is ended.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Two-time Caldecott Medalist Nonny Hogrogian has illustrated more than fifty books for children. She lives in McMinnville, Oregon.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishing Co. (August 1, 1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0027440001
• ISBN-13: 978-0027440003
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #949,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Balance Restored Through Generosity, Effort, and Barter!, April 24, 2001

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: One Fine Day (Paperback)

This book won the Caldecott Medal as the best illustrated children's story of 1971. The vivid colors will brighten your day! The story itself is a retelling of an Armenian folk tale.

The book is exceptional for the fable, the moral it tells, and the dynamic illustrations that turn the fox's frustration into an adventure for the reader.

"One fine day

a fox traveled through a great forest.

When he reached the other side he was very thirsty."

"He saw a pail of milk that an old woman had set down

while she gathered wood for her fire."

"Before she noticed the fox, he had lapped up most of the milk."

"The woman became so angry that she grabbed her knife and

chopped off his tail . . . ."

Thus, the story begins.

The fox begs for the old woman to sew his tail back on. Otherwise, "all my friends will laugh at me."

"'Give me back my milk,' she said, 'and I'll give you back your tail.'"

The fox finds a cow who is willing to help, but wants grass in return. The fox asks a field for some grass, and the field asks for some water. The fox goes to the stream, which tells him to get a jug for the water. From there, the fox finds a fair maiden who has a jug, but wants a blue bead. The fox finds a peddler who has a blue bead, but wants an egg. An hen offers an egg in exchange for some grain. The fox finds a miller who has grain.

"The miller was a good man and felt sorry for the fox."

With the grain given to him by the miller, the fox proceeds to do all of his barters.

In the end, the old woman "carefully sewed his tail in place, and off he ran to join his friends . . . ."

As you can see, the language is simple so you will find this book helpful in assisting your child to learn to read around ages 4-6. The illustrations carefully match the words, which will help remind your child which words are on the page.

The book is valuable for introducing a number of important themes. For example, if you do something wrong, people will be angry. They may even punish you in some way.

Further, most people want something in exchange even if they are willing to help.

Beyond that, even those who want to help may not be able to (the stream could not transport the water it would give freely).

Most importantly, without the kindness of a stranger (the miller) the fox would have been out of luck . . . even with all of his efforts.

After you finish the story, I suggest that you also ask your child what lessons are here. Children are famous for spotting unintended ones as well as fundamental truths that adults easily overlook. Have a great discussion!

Seek balance in all that you do, especially when you redress an imbalance . . . whether caused by you or others! Don't forget to play the role of the miller!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Cumulative Tale About A Fox Tail, May 19, 2008

By 

Susan K. Schoonover "Sue Yingling" (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: One Fine Day (Paperback)

Most kids of "picture book age" are attracted to cumulative tales like THE OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY or THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT because of the repetitive patterns and the easy logic to the simple plots. ONE FINE DAY is another great example of a cumulative tale. The basic story involves a talking fox who drinks an old woman's milk. In a rather violent move that doesn't seem to bother most kids the woman bloodlessly cuts off the fox's tail and refuses to "sew it back on" until the fox gives her back the milk. The now tail free but still resilant fox goes through the forest and tries to barter some milk from a cow who will give him milk if he gives her grass, a field that will yield grass if the fox will give it water, a stream that will give water if the fox brings a jug and so on. Our fox hero is finally triumphant and brings the replacement milk to the old woman who true to her word "carefully sews his tail in place" and all ends happily as the fox "ran to join his friends on the other side of the forest."

The illustrations are appropriate and well convey the setting which appears to be Eastern Europe in a past century. Kids seem to like the reassuring ending to the fox's problem as well as the classic repetition of the folk tale.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One Fine book, June 25, 2000

By 

"charlie4" - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Fine Day (Library Binding)

In this story, the fox has his tail cut off by a woman who is angry because the fox drank her milk. The fox asks for his tail back and the woman says only if the fox returns her milk. Herein lies the tale. The fox embarks on a journey taking him to the cow who will give him milk only if he is fed, which leads the fox to a field who will give up his grass only if he receives water, which leads the fox to the ....and the tale goes on and on. The fox does eventually get his tail back. My 3 year old son is perplexed by this story and his listens with rapt attention. It is a good bedtime story because the story builds on itself and the phrases are repeated again and again and again. This book also won a Caldecott Medal for illustration. Recommended.