What's in Fox's Sack: An Old English Tale

by Paul Galdone

When a woman lets out the bumblebee that he had put in his sack, a wily fox replaces it with a rooster, a pig, and finally a little boy -- and that leads to his downfall.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Folklore

32 pages, Library Binding

First published April 1, 1982

About the author

Paul Galdone (1907 - November 7, 1986) was a children's literature author and illustrator. He was born in Budapest and he emigrated to the United States in 1921. He studied art at the Art Student's League and New York School for Industrial Design. He served for the US Army during world War II.

He illustrated nearly all of Eve Titus' books including the Basil of Baker Street series which was translated to the screen in the animated Disney film, The Great Mouse Detective.

Galdone and Titus were nominated for Caldecott Medals for Anatole (1957) and Anatole and the Cat (1958). The titles were later named Caldecott Honor books in 1971.

He died of a heart attack in Nyack, New York. He was posthumously awarded the 1996 Kerlan Award for his contribution to children's literature. His retellings of classic tales like "The Little Red Hen" or "Three Billy Goats Gruff" have become staples.

Reviews

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I have certainly been on the roll when it comes to reading Paul Galdone’s books! So, I just recently stumbled upon another picture book written and illustrated by Paul Galdone called “What’s In Fox’s Sack?” which is based off an old English tale and man, was it a pretty interesting tale!

The story starts off with Fox finding a big bumblebee in the ground and he decides to put the bumblebee into his sack. Later on, Fox meets up with a very little woman and he asks her to watch his sack while he goes off to visit his friend Squintum. After Fox had left, the very little woman looked into the sack anyway and out flew the bumblebee, who ends up being gobbled by the very little woman’s rooster. When Fox comes back, the very little woman confessed to Fox that she opened the sack and her rooster ate up the bumblebee after it flew out of the sack. So, Fox decides to put the very little woman’s rooster into the sack instead and he continues to travel across the village, meeting up with different women while getting many different creatures into his sack!

I have read many folktales that deal with tricksters trying to get want they want in various ways, but I have never read a tale where said trickster uses a normal sack to capture his prey in exchange for something much bigger and better! Paul Galdone has done an excellent job at retelling this ancient English folktale as it shows how trickery against innocent bystanders can have its own consequences and I really enjoyed seeing Fox going to different houses in each page and put something even bigger and better than the last prey he captures into his sack, such as putting a rooster from a little lady into his sack to putting a pig from a very big woman into his sack after the rooster escapes from the sack. I also loved how unique this story is since I had never read a story that dealt with the trickster tricking everyone he meets by taking their possessions and putting them into his sack while he looks for a much larger prey on his journey through the village. Paul Galdone’s artwork is as usual gorgeous to look at as the characters look so scratchy and yet they really convey the traditional sense of this story, especially of the images of Fox looking so sneaky whenever he is taking his sack to different places in the village.

Overall, “What’s in Fox’s Sack?” is a truly fantastic book about tricky animals and I am sure that children and parents will enjoy this book for many years! I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this book.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sly Fox is playing a game of trading upwards, and fooling hapless housewives into giving him more than what he arrived with. A classic trickster tale, though the tables are turned at the end.

Galdone's artwork is always a delight!

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun folktale structure where a fox keeps replacing the animal in his sack with something bigger. In the end, a family puts their guard dog in the sack who chases the fox when he's let out. Fun, and it's funny when the fox gets his comeuppance even though it doesn't make sense how everyone is just letting him take their stuff. Still an enjoyable classic style.

[Val R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to have someone explain the overall concept so that's on me. Still cute, they don't make em like this anymore, alas.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this rather long tale the cunning fox visits several women doing household chores with his sack where each one let’s the previous catch out of the sack until the final woman is more sly than the fox.
Loved Galdone’s illustrations of the women and their surroundings in these cottages where their is much detail in the work space as well as the women are very individualistic.

[Saffron Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This rating is for the edition adapted and illustrated by Paul Galdone.

[Amy Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second graders ask for this again and again. We all wonder about this Squintum chap ...