Hattie and the Fox

 Bibliography: Fox, M. (1993). Ill. by Patricia Mullins. Hattie and the Fox. Macmillan/McGraw-Hill School Pub. Co.  ISBN 978-0-689-71611-9

Plot Summary: Chicken sees something suspicious in the bushes, eyes, , but the other animals ignore her don't really believe her.  Then she sees ears, and a mouth.  Still they don't believe her.  Eventually she sees the whole animal, a threat to the farm, and they still don't believe her, until it is almost too late. 

Critical Analysis: The book is a great book for beginning readers because of the use of repetitive words and phrases.  Most of the language is fairly simple and easy to read. The slow reveal of the suspicious character also helps to build suspense that would excite and intrigue a young reader, without being too scary.  Mullins creates beautiful, realistic illustrations that are not too cartoony. The lack of concern by the other animals clearly shows on their faces. Though the color scheme is fairly simple, the use of different shades helps to give dimension to the drawings. A fun read even as an adult. 

Rev    Reviews:

           Goodreads.com: "Prepare for suspense that's just scary enough for tender readers."

           Kids-bookreview.com: "Mem Fox and Patricia Mullins bring us a farmyard spectacular in this fun story about Hattie...."

         Awards:

          (Though the book itself has not won awards, the author and illustrator have both won awards for other works."

         Connections: 

          Use in a Kindergarten class as a read aloud.  Pair with a lesson on learning the names of farm animals.    

          Use in a Kindergarten class as a read aloud.  Pair with a lesson on story sequence, read story, then have children write a story of their own. 






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