Little Fox, Lost

by Nicole Snitselaar, Alicia Padrón (Illustrator), Erin Woods (Translator)

Little Fox s paw prints make such beautiful pictures in the newly fallen snow. Left here, right there, around that fallen branch he scatters them throughout the forest until, too late, he finds he can t retrace his steps back home. Lost and afraid, Little Fox wants to agree when a kind, old owl offers to fly ahead and guide him. But Mama Fox has warned him often: If ever you are lost, my child, / don t let a stranger guide you. / Be still and I will search the wild / until I am beside you. In gentle, expressive text, Nicola Snitselaar spins a tale that goes far beyond a simple stranger danger warning. Her Little Fox, equipped with his own ingenuity as well as his mother s wisdom, cleverly finds a way for the other animals to attract Mama Fox s attention while keeping himself safe. Alicia Padron renders this resilient Little Fox and his forest companions in soft watercolors, their rounded shapes and endearing features easing any anxiety that little listeners might feel about being lost."

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 22, 2016

Reviews

[Adrianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Little Fox, Lost" is a beautifully written picture book by Nicole Snitselaar. This book was translated from the French by Erin Woods and has an important message. Little Fox gets lost in the woods as his mother, Mama Fox, is speaking with Mrs. Gray Fox. It takes him a few minutes to realize that he is lost and by that time he does not know how to retrace his steps. An owl offers to help him find his mother, but Little Fox remembers his mother's warning that he should stay still if he is lost and not follow a stranger. He comes up with the idea to sing aloud and soon the other animals join in and as a result his mother finds him. I like that after being reunited, Little Fox replays Mama's song in his head: "If ever you are lost, my child, Don't let a stranger guide. Be still, and I will search the wild Until I am beside you." This book is significant since it can start an important conversation between parents and their children in regards to safety and what to do when children get lost. Alicia Padron did a superb job with the illustrations and I liked the details and colors in each illustration.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Mama Fox is chatting with a friend, Little Fox bounds off into the woods to explore but soon gets lost. When Owl offers to guide him through the woods to find his mom, Little Fox remembers his mom's warning to stay put so she can find him and not to follow a stranger. He and Owl and other animals in the woods sing until Mama Fox follows their voices the pair are reunited.
Beautifully illustrated.

[Donna Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations. Little fox gets lost in the woods. An owl offers to fly ahead of him and help him find home, but then the fox remembers. His mother told him to sit still and wait and she would find him. He starts singing her song, and other animals join in, until suddenly mother is at his side. They go home and he is happy to be snug in bed next to her, safe and sound.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little fox and his mama are going for a walk in the forest. But when Mama stops to talk with a friend, little fox wanders deep into the woods and gets lost. an old owl offers to help, but little fox isn't supposed to talk to strangers. I guess a good lesson? I have mixed feelings about this. cute pictures.

[Mely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet and endearing book. A great message to spark a discussion with your toddler. I improvised a song to collaborate with the book and my daughter loved it. This is a book I hope to read time and time again.

[Whitney Vestal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mama fave. Layton not too interested.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Fox and his mother come out of their den to go out for a walk on a sunny day after it had snowed all morning. Right from the beginning the setting in this book is perfect. A beautiful wintry day to explore the outdoors is what we as Canadians look forward to once fall is behind us. And what child can resist the lure of that sparkling snow in winter?

Little Fox is happy and his happiness is shown when he plays in the snow as his mother stops to chat with Mrs. Gray Fox. She tells him to stay close so he won't get lost. But Little Fox is full of wonder and he experiments with his footprints in the snow, bouncing about in different directions and sees the resulting pictures he's created. We can discern quickly that Little Fox is intelligent and loves to question and experiment. As is normal of any child, he inadvertently moves further away as he is caught up with what he is learning. It is at this moment that he realizes he is lost.

When Little Fox is found by an Old Owl who offers to help him, Little Fox remembers a song his mother sang to him about not following a stranger but instead staying still and waiting to be found. Both my son and I spontaneously broke into song as we read this part, making up out own version. This song appears several times throughout the text and we had fun singing it every time.

I love books that provide a song. Children seem to remember better when text is put to music. My son also likes drawings of foxes so he took to this story quickly. Little Fox is cute, with his pointy face and bushy tail. The illustrations are simple but adorable. They are in soft watercolor using soothing earth tone colors. Perfect for a gentle story for the young but with powerful lessons.

This book teaches four lessons: 1) for parents to always keep a watchful eye on their little one because it is very easy for them to wander off; 2) for parents to teach their children what to do when lost; 3) for children to stay in place and not follow a stranger, and 4) for children to use their skills to attract help, such as when Little Fox got the other animals in the forest to sing with him so their raised voices together would help his mother find him.

The translation from the original French version Petit renard se perd was well done. If the reader doesn't know it's translated, one can't tell that it is. The flow is good and the text appropriate for the age range. This book is an excellent addition to both a school and home library and could become a favorite, especially if a mother memorizes the song and sings it as she takes her child out with her on errands.

[Laura Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Fox, Lost is an adorable board book about stranger danger. It seems there are plenty of books about stranger danger, but this one approaches the topic without fear mongering or threatening characters. Little Fox becomes sad when he starts to fear his mother won't find him, but he is supported and watched over by Owl and other creatures. This story will not only remind children of what to do when they get lost, but it also shows them that others are concerned with their well-being.

Padron's illustrations are soft, gentle, and just so cute! Her little woodland creatures are a delight, and the use of white space makes for a beautifully clean book and reinforces the snowy, winter setting in the forest.

The production of the book also suits the gentle rhymes and illustrations. This board book is padded, making the cover soft and a little squishy. The whole experience of touching and observing this book is soft and soothing. Little Fox, Lost is a delightful little read that I highly recommend for any infant-toddler bookshelf.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this lovely picture book from Canada, soft colors feature in a story about a small fox who wanders away from its mother during an outing in the snow. Little Fox is intrigued by the pictures his paw prints make in the snow, and becomes distracted. Naturally, he ends up being completely disoriented and lost. When Old Owl offers to fly into the sky and guide him, he remembers his mother's admonition to wait where he is if he gets lost since she will find him. After all, he can't head out into the woods with a stranger. He and the owl sing a reassuring song, taught by Little Fox's mother, and she eventually comes to his rescue. The book reminds youngsters not to trust every stranger they meet--even though Old Owl was not the bad kind of stranger--while reassuring them that their caregivers will not abandon them or leave them to their own devices. I was particularly taken by the illustrations more than the message, but many young readers may like the story just as much as the images that accompany it.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

When little fox heads out on a snowy day his mom reminds him to stay close. But his curiosity gets the best of him, he wanders away and gets lost. Old owl offers guide him to his mom but he is reminded of her words, “If you are ever lost, my child, don’t let a stranger guide you. Be still and I will search the wild unti I am beside you.” Gorgeous water-color drawings provide the perfect back drop to fox’s misadventure, and the story gives parents a chance to talk about strangers, and even when you made need their help.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Fox wanders away from his mother and finds himself all alone in the forest. He is not allowed to go anywhere with strangers, so instead he sings the song his mother taught him about what to do if he was lost. The other forest animals sing with him. Eventually, his mother hears the song and runs to find him.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish the font choice had been better (or removed the white panel for it to 'sit on') because the illustrations are just so soft and lovely that I didn't like the interference! Otherwise, a super good story for any 'stranger danger' type lesson without being scary.

[Anna Fillmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good for teaching kids what to do when they become separated from their adults.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are beautiful.

[Amy!]

The illustrations in this are PRECIOUS. The text is sweet and comforting