Clara's Curiosity & Her Foxy Friends

by Karen Belanger-Richmond

Overview

"I walk past many trees and up over giant boulders. I walk slowly and quietly and peek between three granite rocks. What do I see? I see three foxes eating breakfast together, just like my family and me."

When Clara looks out her window, her curiosity brings her into the forest where she observes a young family of Maine gray foxes at the edge of her family home. Join Clara in this first of many adventures. What will you and Clara learn together along the way? Will your adventurous curiosity take you out in the beauty of a forest, or perhaps on a hike or bike trail ride? This story invites you, the reader, to write, draw, and share your adventures too!

Share your stories and drawings on ClarasCuriosity.com

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798891381094
Publisher:	Mascot Kids
Publication date:	11/12/2024
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 11.75(h) x 0.38(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Why not write a children's book during Covid? Karen Belanger-Richmond did! Clara's Curiosity & Her Foxy Friends is the first in a series that she continues to write from her summer home in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Karen grew up in Biddeford, Maine, and her fondest childhood memories are of walks in the woods with her mom, dad, and younger sister to pick yummy fiddleheads and beautiful lupines. She has always had the desire to write children's books that kids would love to read over and over that pique their curiosity for adventure, encourage them to read great books about the things they want to learn more about, write stories and draw all that inspires them, or simply . . . BE OUTSIDE, PLAY, AND LAUGH.

Karen's career in educational publishing has made her mindful that her children's book would also become a resource for teachers to use for shared read-aloud with their students.

Karen lives in Dedham, Massachusetts, with her husband and is completing her next book in the Clara's Curiosity Series. She is anxious to meet curious young readers like you at her upcoming book signings.

Look for event locations and resources for students and teachers at ClarasCuriosity.com.

Editorial Reviews

2024-11-20
In Belanger-Richmond’s illustrated children’s book, a young girl in Maine sees animal visitors outside her window and decides to find out as much as she can about them.

One sunny morning, elementary-school-age Clara looks out her window to witness three foxes at the edge of the woods that border her backyard—a mother fox and her two cubs. She races downstairs to tell her mom, who’s in the middle of making pancakes, but expresses excitement about her daughter’s discovery. Once Clara’s dad comes home, the three family members set off outside to find their new wild guests. Dad gives Clara a pair of binoculars, and over time, Clara enjoys watching the fox family in their natural habitat where they sleep, hunt, and play. She also learns how to observe the natural world while staying out of danger. These encounters inspire her to learn more about wildlife, and she soon gathers observational tools, including a notepad and an animal-print guide, which she keeps in her backpack with her binoculars. Later, Mom gives Clara her own nature journal for writing down what she sees in nature, and her grandmother brings her to the library so she can learn all about foxes. Throughout, the repeated phrase “What do I see?” encourages young readers to study the images and make their own observations. Mathew’s vibrant and painterly illustrations are the book’s highlight. The earlier sections of Belanger-Richmond’s text employ delightful, simple repetition. However, it relies on this device less as the story goes on, and it becomes somewhat less engaging as a result. Still, the book does valuably encourage children to engage with the outdoors in a meaningful way that’s safe for both humans and animals.

A wordy narrative on a delightful topic that’s paired with engaging, colorful illustrations.

Kirkus Reviews