Gray Fox in the Moonlight

by Isaac Peterson

2023 PUBWEST DESIGN AWARDS WINNER

“This book needs not one breath more for its perfect autumn and winter message.” —School Library Journal, starred review

Gray Fox wanders alone in the forest at night. The woods are illuminated in the silvery light of the full moon and stars. She gazes around in wonder at the light in the birch grove and stops to look at her reflection in the river. But something calls to her in her reverie. She must return to her den by dawn to care for her kits when they wake.

With simple poetry young children will love, Gray Fox in the Moonlight is a journey through a nighttime wonderland that celebrates the love between parents and children. Simple two-color illustrations overflow with light in this evergreen story that illustrates the value of independence in the parental relationship as well as the powerful bond which calls us home from wandering. Gray Fox in the Moonlight revels in the profound beauty of nature.

MORE PRAISE FOR GRAY FOX IN THE MOONLIGHT

“The text matches the fox’s steps so perfectly that readers may feel as though they’re following her home through the woods.” —Kirkus Reviews

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Storytime, Childrens, Nature, Poetry, Juvenile

32 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 24, 2023

Reviews

[Milton Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gray fox wanders the woods on an cold night. She wanders here and there witnessing the beauty of the forest around her. When she is finished with her walk she returns to her den, and kits, just in time for sunrise. This book captures what would would expect a wintery night to be with beautiful illustrations and sparse words. My daughter even read this one to me!

Find it in our SHARE Catalog today!

Ashley C. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The little one loved the illustrations of the Gray Fox. This book is extremely simple in whole, but enough to point out the leaves, the moon, and Gray Fox's kits. We talked about how Gray Fox snuggles with her little ones at the end of the book too before the sun then rises again.

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for a read a loud.

[Rebecca Band · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gray Fox in the Moonlight by Isaac Peterson is formatted in large print and written in short, simple sentences, perfect for ages 4-8. The descriptive pictures and text keep the reader interested and intrigued about Fox and where she is going as she makes her way through the woods. A bonus to this already fantastic book is that the daughter of the author/illustrator painted many of the background elements of the book. A great book for the young ones in your life! Sure to be an instant hit that they will continue to cherish as their favorite book.

[Summer Koester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gray Fox in the Moonlight is an enchanting journey through a nighttime wonderland inspired by author/illustrator Isaac Peterson’s Alaskan childhood cross-country skiing to school “during the part of winter when it is completely dark.” A resident of Alaska myself, the dreamy illustrations conjure my own starry nights and early mornings of winter and the magical stillness and dusky beauty of its days. The clean, spare prose complements the silvery winter tones, juxtaposed with silhouettes of the fox, trees, branches, and textures created by Peterson’s young daughter. Illustrations capture the details of Alaskan winters, like the curl of the young fern unfurling in the forest, the low winter sun that shines through the trees at midday, and the birch trees that join overhead. Adapted from a poem Peterson recited to his daughter to help her fall asleep, simple prose evokes a meditative feel, like the quiet of winter itself. On a wondrous night, “the moon is caught in the branches,” and a “river unwinds in the trees.” Just as Gray Fox snuggles her kits in her burrow on long winter nights, children and adults alike will want to curl up with this gorgeous book.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked it up because it was a SLJ starred review and it's love, especially the cover with the glittering stars with the silhouette of the gray fox against the backdrop of the yellow moon and navy forest.

So while it was lovely, it didn't hit me in a way that I thought it might with the moonlight and animal happenings. Again, gorgeous and lovely, but the big blocky text that moves around on the page didn't quite match the ethereal nature of the illustrations-- it distracted from the overall story and didn't work together harmoniously.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from The Collective Book Studio through Edelweiss+.
The illustrations are lovely and the concept is interesting but the execution did not work as well as I hoped. Part of this may be the electronic version. It was almost impossible to read some of the text as it blended in with the background colors. I'm sure this was part of the overall plan as the fox blended in so well but it made it frustrating to follow the author's words. The ending is sweet as the fox returns to her kits and all are safe. I do love that the author's daughter provided the illustrations.

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely simple book for fans of foxes (of course) and also for readers of any age who want to see artistic excellence. Color palette is subtle with greys, navy blues, and soft yellows. The textured cover has a promising sheen that accurately invites readers in to this tender nighttime walkabout.

Only question is why is female fox just out wandering while her kits are in a cave? Shouldn't she be hunting? But oh well, it's beautiful.

[TheRetiredSchoolLibrarian |Mrs. Ferraris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief summary: Gray Fox walks in the fall woods during a full moon, seeing her reflection in the river before returning to the den.

Comments: The cover of this book is designed beautifully with raised imprints and specks of silver. Although the title is in cursive, the text inside is in block letters.

The gray illustrations were created by the author and his daughter.

This is a short and gentle book, excellent for bedtime.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

[Jj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVE the font and type size in this book. It is unusually large but lovely and very effective. I also think this would be a great reason to share this title with those who have vision issues and those who are new readers. There is a limited, calm palette at work here and I think it is a good one.

[Jennifer Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Demographics: No people, only foxes

I picked this book up because the cover was beautiful! I love the detail and the shiny bits. The story is simple, a little poetic, but not a story story.

Love the illustrations, just as beautiful as I was hoping. It's the kind of book I'd like to frame.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a soothing, lullaby of a book. The color palette is in shades of black and white with highlights of gold/yellow/orange. My little girl said it was making her want to go to sleep in the sweetest way. It's lovely all around.

[Emily Haage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful color palette. I love how simple the text is--plus, the text is nice and large without overtaking any of the gorgeous illustrations (almost like a water color feel in some of them?).

Perfect story to share during a winter or nature-themed story time.

[Devon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are so beautiful.

[Crystal Chaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

book came in today and my kids loved it. Beautiful pictures and the letters were big enough for the kids to notice and read but also fit in with the background. Love this cute little kids book.

[Katerina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book and pictures, my kid loves it!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little story about the night life a fox.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though the book is small the illustrations are big, bold, and beautiful. The words are also very simple and large. Would work well for a bedtime storytime.

[Holly Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful book with sparse narrative following a gray fox home to her kits. Not quite sure where it would fit in my collection.

[Marta-Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Lovely bedtime story features a fox as she winds her way through the night and the woods to her kits. Nature lovers and hikers will thoroughly enjoy it.

[Clementine · Rating 3 out of 5]

sparse text and striking illustrations. the coolest part of this one is that the author's daughter helped with the illustrations.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

a gray fox maneuvers through the nighttime forest in this toddler and up book.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book with silver custom endpapers Anda textured cover with silver highlights, so best enjoyed in non-electronic format.

Library copy

[Kaley Hood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this for my daughter at our local library. Foxes are one of her favorite animals, and this is very easy for her to read. The "goth mom" in me is also in love with the art style!

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Storytime Ideas: Nighttime, Forest, Fall, Nature, Foxes

[Addie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this beautiful storytime pick. 16 month old wanted to go play...

[Storm · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is so, SO short and simple but still cute, and the artwork is amazing.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are lovely with navy, white, and hints of orange. The text is large and simple.

2024 storytime theme: Space

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about a fox who comes out during the day and sleeps at night. Its a very SHORT read like 2 sentences total.

[S46354595 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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