The Fox With Cold Feet

by Bill Singer, Dennis Kendrick (Illustrator)

Large-frame comic strips describe the dilemma of Young Fox, who has tried to warm his feet against the cold snow by using for boots a pail, an old nest, an ear muff, and a scarf

Genres: Childrens

41 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1980

Reviews

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fox with Cold Feet has the feel of a forced lesson on what we already know. The Fox in this story is convinced by the sparrow his footsies need boots to keep warm. Sparrow suggests she locate some boots for Foxy. She gives him one nest for one of his four paws, and leaves it at that. (Birdbrain! Too busy thinking of her little mouths to feed at home than to truly help someone in need.) So Fox asks help from other Forrest creatures and gets one tin can, a headset and a scarf as makeshift footwear, the type you could get at Payless (but why???). Finally Foxy has it figured: he could walk the forest a lot better (yah!) if he does himself of his cumbersome "shoes" and he could feel a lot warmer as a result? Like, duh, he woulda known already? Buuuuut, when you're a kid, the publishing industry doesn't count on you knowing this and thus promotes certain works in kids lit to force morals down every kid's throat. Sad tradition, and still practiced today in books like....well, this one.
Two stars
Cold Feet fox tale leaves us colder.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and funny.

[H. Givens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute pictures, and I like the layout -- some text outside the pictures, but with most of the pictures laid out like comic books, with the dialogue inside. I also like that no one is threatening to eat anybody else, and fox is the sweet gullible one rather than the mean trickster here.

There's a short parent/teacher guide. It explains the book's theme of not letting others manipulate you and doing what you feel is comfortable for you (awesome!), and suggests a few exercises for kids to talk about the emotions Fox and the other animals are signalling in their facial expressions (also awesome!).

[Partridge Public]

Singer, Bill K-1st

[Amy Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first of the 12 birthday books that my neice wanted to read. An entertaining story about a fox looking for a way to keep his feet warm.

[Chad Olson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fox learns that his feet are supposed to be cold.