The Fox and the Wild

Fred the fox lives in the city. It’s smoky and noisy and he finds it tough. He wonders where the birds fly to and one day a bird tells him: the wild. But it’s tricky to find the wild and the other animals he knows are only familiar with the city. Will Fred ever find the place where the wind blows over the hills and the trees spread their branches?

This is a delightful picture book by a Northern Irish author-illustrator. The illustrations are appealingly blocky with lots of colour, even in the grimy city, though the expanse of bright colour and texture in ‘the wild’ is a marked contrast. Young children will enjoy following Fred’s adventure as he seeks out the wild, and there are several exciting dangerous moments with loud noises to enjoy repeating. And do not fear, city-dwellers, although the city is shown to be too much for Fred, Fred’s cousins love it there, and the birds do visit, plus there are boats and diggers, so it’s not all negative. Foxes are supposed to be wild, after all, and this could be a conversation to have with children – what makes an animal ‘wild’?