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A review by katymul
Fox by Ron Brooks, Margaret Wild
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm a little afraid to give this book a lower rating, honestly. Plus, it's perfectly made. It's just that what Wild wanted to make, apparently, is a truly unhinged picturebook.
The composition of the story, the spareness of the language...not a single letter is wasted or misplaced. It's a beautifully constructed work of art. And I'm kind of terrified for a child to ever read it? Are picturebooks for just adults a thing? Then again, maybe children DO need books like this? Even "horror" themed books tend to take the Vampirina Ballerina approach to have an actually sweet story. And plenty of children don't have sweet lives. Perhaps we need less preciousness and more precision, less sweetness and more gut-punches like Fox.
Kudos to the illustrator for capturing that energy in the frenzied illustrations, which enhance the already overly potent story and the despair, pain, and awe it inspires.
This book will haunt you.
The composition of the story, the spareness of the language...not a single letter is wasted or misplaced. It's a beautifully constructed work of art. And I'm kind of terrified for a child to ever read it? Are picturebooks for just adults a thing? Then again, maybe children DO need books like this? Even "horror" themed books tend to take the Vampirina Ballerina approach to have an actually sweet story. And plenty of children don't have sweet lives. Perhaps we need less preciousness and more precision, less sweetness and more gut-punches like Fox.
Kudos to the illustrator for capturing that energy in the frenzied illustrations, which enhance the already overly potent story and the despair, pain, and awe it inspires.
This book will haunt you.