A special and unusual relationship began when Cherie Mason helped an injured fox that came into her yard one winter morning. Crippled by a steel-jawed trap, the young fox had every reason to mistrust all humans, yet he was won over by Cherie's persistent gentleness (and tidbits from her kitchen). Suffused with a gentle sense of wonder, Wild Fox speaks with great resonance to a deep and very human impulse: the longing to span the gulf between the species.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
"Have you ever touched the nose of a wild red fox? I have." With this pleasingly disconcerting opening, Mason leads readers into the wonder of her relationship with an unexpected backyard visitant. When a maimed fox accepts her offering of chicken, Mason grows curious about her skittish forest neighbor and deliberates about how far she should intervene in saving his life. Vicky--as the fox comes to be called--savors Mason's treats (especially blueberry muffins), although he never abandons his wild nature. But one memorable night, as friends watch "the rippling pink and lavender curtains of the northern lights," the bushy-tailed animal joins the group--a leaping, somersaulting form among spellbound human shadows. Surrounded by Stammen's strikingly poignant and elegantly rendered pastel illustrations, the book's sustantial text rests not on poetic power alone, but also on the natural eloquence of a truly told event. Indeed, Mason checks tender yearnings with a conversational tone, weaving in pertinent facts and telling of experiences rather than of feelings, all of which lend force to the softly dramatic and bittersweet ending. Mason communicates her innate awe at reaching across the chasm that separates civilized intelligence from feral instinct, and her riveting book pinpoints that charged, mysterious intersection where humans can meet the wild without taming it. Ages 5-13.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
A journalist/wildlife advocate who lives on Maine's Deer Isle recounts her friendship with a three-legged fox. She first observed him when he had just escaped from a steel trap; feeding him while he healed, she won his trust. The leisurely narrative describes ``Vicky's'' behavior that spring and summer--his fondness for blueberry muffins, his moonlight antics, his renewed ability to hunt. In the fall, he returned to the wild, his departure accompanied with a gentle homily (addressed more to readers than to the fox) on hazards to avoid, especially man. Longer than Faith McNulty's Orphan (1992) and not quite so gracefully phrased, but with similar appeal. McAllister's beautifully observed art is precisely rendered in softly muted tones; portraits and lively spreads are supplemented with charming initial vignettes to punctuate the solid blocks of text. Handsome and appealing. (Nonfiction. 5+) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A beautifully illustrated, moving story of human and fox,
By A Customer
This review is from: Wild Fox: A True Story (Hardcover)
The pictures are beautiful and the story bitter sweet. The trap surviving fox comes to depend on the human and the human on the fox. This book should be in every child's library, and many adults' library , too.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Foxy,
This review is from: Wild Fox: A True Story (Hardcover)
The steel-jawed leghold trap has been outlawed in more than 65 nations as cruel and barbaric, but is still legal in most of the U.S.The author wrote this true story of her lengthy encounter with a red fox in Deer Isle off the coast of Maine, partly in hopes that the tale would encourage the banning of such traps in the U.S. It had lost a foot to such a trap. The story first appeared in a shorter version in the August 1988 issue of Cricket. Here, it runs 32 pages, and is accompanied by lavish color sketches of the wild animal, temporarily tamed by both human friend and desperate need. What ultimately became of the fox in this story, which the author called Vicky, we'll never know. But based on her poetic reporting, readers can hope for the best. The author engrosses even the youngest of readers in a way that is, well, foxy. --- Alyssa A. Lappen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Book,
By
This review is from: Wild Fox: A True Story (Hardcover)
I am a teacher and when I first saw and read this book I had to have it. It is a wonderful addition to any library. I agree with the above reviewer the pictures are delicate and very heart warming. The story is excellent. I use this book at least once per year with my classes.
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