The Fox in the Moon: Based On A Peruvian Folk Tale

by Francisco X. Mora (Illustrator), Michael Ryall, Francisco X. Mora (Illustrator)

1996 The Fox in the Based on A Peruvian Folk Tale (Paperback/Saddle Stitch Binding)(10"x8") Retold by Juan Quintana & Michael Ryall / Illustrated by Francisco X. Mora *** 9781563347054 *** 32

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Chloe Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you been looking for a good folklore tale to read for fun or maybe to your class? If so, this Peruvian tale is for you. The Fox in the Moon is a fiction story about a fox who persuades mole to climb with him on a grass rope that he has braided with the birds help, which is connected to the moon. The setting takes place a long long time ago. The media the illustrator uses in this book is cool colors to create emotional appeal. This mostly formal arrangement would make a story a great candidate for a traditional read aloud.

[Amairani Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

For such a simple story, there is a lot that this book has to offer. I enjoy reading folk tales from a variety of places because it provides some insight on the culture and how it can be similar or different to our culture here in the United States.

This folktale is retold by author Juan Quintana, in which he explains why in Peru the people say that they see a fox in the moon. It also describes the reason that is believed by the people in Peru that moles live underground. Ambitious Fox dreams of going to the moon while Mole is constantly thinking about delicious worms. One day, Fox decides he wants to visit the moon but doesn't know how. They ultimately plan to use a rope to tie to the moon when it is a crescent shape and ask different animals to help them tie the rope. Fox tries to convince Mole to come with him by promising there are worms there. However, in the process of climbing the rope, Mole falls to the ground and is so embarrassed that he stays underground while Fox lives in the moon for the rest of his life.

What I enjoy the most about this book is its simplicity for kids to understand how different cultures see the way certain things are explained. I also think it does an excellent job in bringing up topics that young children can understand, like Fox tricking (or lying) to Mole about there being worms in the moon. And the fact that at the end it compares how different countries see different things in the moon (i.e. the US sees a man in the moon, China sees a toad, Mexico sees a rabbit) is great for teachers to discuss with their students. They can also connect it to the kids personally by asking them what they see in the moon.

[Kate Sorg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on a Peruvian Folk Tale, "The Fox in the Moon", tells the story of a fox with a dream. The fox has a sidekick, Mole. The setting takes place a long, long time ago on a night with a crescent moon. In this fictitious tale, the two ask a condor to help tie a rope around the moon. Once the rope is tied to the moon Fox convinces Mole to come along. The illustrator's craft along with this creative writing would be a great choice for a traditional read-aloud.

[Kaylee Rowlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Traditional Literature (Folk Tale)

Unique Feature: In the back of this book there is a section with informational text that describes the folk tale more in depth and poses some questions for children to think about as well.

Grades: 1st- 4th

Date Completed: October 5th, 2017

[Anissa Saenz-Ochoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun folktale about "the fox in the moon." It is a Peruvian folktale that explains why a fox is in the moon. It also includes small explanations like why moles bury underground. It's a great book to include in any study of the folktale genre and is simply a fun read. I'd recommend to have this in any classroom library.

[Colleen]

Fiction