The Fox Chase

by Sven Nordqvist

Overview

Meet Findus—the adorable, clever little cat—and Pettson—the loving forgetful farmer—in this indelibly charming series of illustrated storybooks filled with humor and heart. In this adventure, Findus cooks up a plan to save the fox from being hunted.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735842151
Publisher:	NorthSouth Books
Publication date:	09/01/2015
Series:	Adventures of Pettson and Findus Series
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	553,458
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 11.70(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD680L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sven Nordqvist is a leading Swedish children’s book illustrator and writer. The Pettson and Findus stories draw, in part, on Nordqvist’s loving observations of his two young sons when they were younger. His unique illustrations are inspired by the delight

Editorial Reviews

"The folk-tale quality of the story lends it down-home flavor, and the banter between farmer and cat is a large part of the fun. But the real cleverness lies in the lively, intricately detailed illustrations...These two comic characters are sly as any fox—and endearing to boot."- Kirkus Reviews

"These two endearing characters will be remembered and asked for again and again."– Grace Oliff, School Library Journal

"Full of details for children to discover, particularly in Pettson’s workshop, the artwork creates different moods in different scenes, all building up to the wildly expressive double-page spread depicting the climax...A satisfying narrative that kids will enjoy again and again."- Carolyn Phelan, Booklist

From the Publisher

12/01/2015
K-Gr 2—The Fox Chase was originally published in the United States in 1989 and has been out of print for some time. This particular volume in the series deals with Farmer Pettson and his cat Findus devising a convoluted scheme to scare away a fox that is a potential threat to their chickens. Gun-toting neighbor Gustavsson would prefer to exterminate the animal. Pettson builds a chicken decoy; a balloon inside is filled with pepper. He attaches strings of fireworks on one long fuse and a rope and pulley system so Findus can swing through the air in a ghost costume. The scheme ends with the fox running into the house for shelter and being surrounded by angry chickens, while Gustavsson finds himself on the receiving end of the booby traps. Neither one will bother the chickens again, and the fox's life is spared. The dialogue between Pettson and Findus is amusing, and the illustrations are charming. Findus appears in his baggy, single-strapped overalls sometimes four or five times on a page—playing croquet, peeking out from a cabinet, or putting a blanket on a sleeping chicken. Children can pore over the details on these pages repeatedly and still not catch all the humorous touches. VERDICT These two endearing characters will be remembered and asked for again and again.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

School Library Journal

2015-06-29
This 10th in the translated Swedish series has farmer Pettson and his talking cat, Findus, trying to outfox a fox. With plenty of chickens and firewood, the two of them are content on their farm—until cranky neighbor Gustavsson shows up, asking if they've seen a fox that's stealing chickens. Pettson and Findus immediately plan a scheme to scare the fox away by making a fake chicken. A balloon filled with black pepper and covered with chicken feathers should do the trick. But is that enough? Firecrackers, a zip line, and a ghost (Findus in a sheet) embellish the plan. The folk-tale quality of the story lends it down-home flavor, and the banter between farmer and cat is a large part of the fun. But the real cleverness lies in the lively, intricately detailed illustrations: a tiny bathtub with five mice sits on the workbench next to a pencil holder that appears to be full of telephone poles, just one of many details that will have readers poring over this book for hours. Though the text is longer than usual for a picture book and part of a series, this story can easily stand alone and may well lead the readers to previous adventures of Pettson and Findus. These two comic characters are sly as any fox—and endearing to boot. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews

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