Fox versus Fox

by Corey R. Tabor, Corey R. Tabor (Illustrator)

Overview

A GEISEL HONOR BOOK

School Library Journal Best Books of 2024

The clever and hilarious star of the Geisel Award winners Fox at Night, Fox the Tiger, and Fox Has a Problem is back in another I Can Read adventure.

There’s only one Fox . . . except when there are two!

Will Fox outfox this new fox? Or will he make a new friend?

Carefully crafted using basic language, word repetition, sight words, and whimsical illustrations, Fox versus Fox is ideal for sharing with your emergent reader. The active, engaging My First I Can Read stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey. Other Fox books include Fox Has a Problem, Fox at Night, Fox versus Winter, Fox the Tiger, Fox Is Late, Fox and the Jumping Contest, and Fox and the Bike Ride.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063277953
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/05/2024
Series:	My First I Can Read Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Corey R. Tabor is the author and illustrator of the Caldecott Honor–winning Mel Fell, three-time Geisel Award winner for Fox Has a Problem, Fox at Night, and Fox the Tiger, and Geisel Honor recipient for Fox versus Fox. His other acclaimed titles include the young graphic novel chapter books Sir Ladybug, Sir Ladybug and the Queen Bee, and Sir Ladybug and the Bookworms; the picture books Ursula Upside Down, Simon and the Better Bone, Snail Crossing, Fox and the Bike Ride, and Fox and the Jumping Contest; and the I Can Reads Fox versus Winter, Fox Is Late, and Fox Plays Ball. Corey R. Tabor lives in Tacoma, Washington, with his wife and son and spends his time making pictures and stories. You can visit him online at coreyrtabor.com.

Corey R. Tabor is the author and illustrator of the Caldecott Honor–winning Mel Fell, three-time Geisel Award winner for Fox Has a Problem, Fox at Night, and Fox the Tiger, and Geisel Honor recipient for Fox versus Fox. His other acclaimed titles include the young graphic novel chapter books Sir Ladybug, Sir Ladybug and the Queen Bee, and Sir Ladybug and the Bookworms; the picture books Ursula Upside Down, Simon and the Better Bone, Snail Crossing, Fox and the Bike Ride, and Fox and the Jumping Contest; and the I Can Reads Fox versus Winter, Fox Is Late, and Fox Plays Ball. Corey R. Tabor lives in Tacoma, Washington, with his wife and son and spends his time making pictures and stories. You can visit him online at coreyrtabor.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Tabor does it again, with a charming addition to the much loved “Fox” series. Short sentences along with repeating words and phrases make this book a fantastic choice for shared reading between an adult and child. It’s rare to find an early transitional reader with a captivating plot, humor, and illustrations that also maintains an easy reading level, but this title does all of that and more." — School Library Journal (starred review)

"The red fox’s superciliousness and the white fox’s indefatigable happiness come through clearly. Visuals and text featuring repetition and simplicity will charm while building reading skills. A winning tale of two pals engaged in a safely silly competition." — Kirkus Reviews

"The sweet and sometimes silly illustrations—rendered in pencil, colored pencil, and watercolors—complement the narrative, reflecting both the subtly devious plot and story’s gentle spirit." — Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 01/01/2024

PreS-Gr 2—Tabor does it again, with a charming addition to the much loved "Fox" series. Beginning readers will delight in the hilarious story of two foxes who ultimately discover they are more alike than different. When a woodland fox encounters an arctic fox for the first time, he struggles to comprehend that they can both be foxes. They look so different! The woodland fox begins listing all of the things foxes are able to do, like jumping very high, doing neat tricks, and being sneaky. The frustration grows when the arctic fox demonstrates the ability to do all of the same things—just differently! The competition gets more and more intense between the two, until they find themselves in a situation where they need a friend. The woodland fox offers a truce, and the two walk into the sunset with their arms around each other. Short sentences along with repeating words and phrases make this book a fantastic choice for shared reading between an adult and child. VERDICT It's rare to find an early transitional reader with a captivating plot, humor, and illustrations that also maintains an easy reading level, but this title does all of that and more.—Ellen Kleber

School Library Journal

2023-12-06
Two foxes challenge each other and become friends in this beginning reader.

A white fox and a red fox are startled to realize that they’re both named “Fox.” The red fox is determined to show off all of its foxy skills: It’s sneaky, it can do tricks, and it can jump. It’s clear from the white fox’s delighted expression that, far from being intimidated by the red fox’s impressive talents, the white fox finds them positively wonderful and wants to play together. If the red fox grinds down a stairway on its skateboard (wearing a helmet, of course), then the white fox applauds, appearing genuinely pleased—before upping the ante by soaring through the air on a snowboard. Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed a rocket pack on the title page, and indeed, the slightly competitive play of Fox and Fox escalates (literally). Two sparsely illustrated double-page spreads complete the cheery rise and fall of their competition. “Two characters are friends” is a classic of the limited-vocabulary beginning reader for a reason, and the lovely artwork, sketched out in simple lines, does the well-trodden tropes justice. The red fox’s superciliousness and the white fox’s indefatigable happiness come through clearly. Visuals and text featuring repetition and simplicity will charm while building reading skills.

A winning tale of two pals engaged in a safely silly competition. (Early reader. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews