Illustrated by Rebecca Harry

A wonderfully wintery tale of
two adventurous little fox cubs
and their first snowfall.

When Mother Fox goes out to look for food she tells fox cubs, Alfie and Bonnie, to stay in their den. But when it starts to snow the two young cubs can't resist exploring the white wonderland outside.

"Emmett and Harry combine their talents to produce a delightful winter story for the youngest readers."

Bridget Carrington, ARMADILLO MAGAZINE

"The storytelling is beautiful in this book ...
The illustrations are particularly gorgeous"

HEAVEN, HELL & PURGATORY

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Macmillan Children's Books

UK Hardcover • ISBN-10: 0230708285 • ISBN-13: 978-0230708280

UK Paperback • ISBN-10: 0230712290 • ISBN-13: 978-0230712294

Illustrations © 2010 Rebecca Harry. Reproduced by permission of Macmillan Children's Books.

I’m occasionally asked by publishers to write a story for a particular illustrator they wish to work with. More often than not, the resulting story is turned down by that publisher, but picked up by another for a different illustrator.

Foxes in the Snow is such a story. When it was turned down by the first publisher, I showed it to Macmillan who were interested in taking it for Rebecca Harry to illustrate. Rebecca and I had already done three Ruby books together at Macmillan and they thought it would be a good idea to extend this partnership beyond the Ruby series.

However the story needed several redrafts before it was in a form that Macmillan were happy to accept. In the original version Bonnie did almost all of the talking and Alfie nearly always responded by saying “I know,” which made him seem a bit of an unappealing know-it-all. In the later drafts the cubs have a more balanced relationship.

Another big problem was the ending. We needed to show that while the cubs had learned their lesson about not wandering off on their own, the snow still retained it’s magical attraction and they still relished the prospect of exploring it again – this time with their mother – the following morning.

Eventually after several redrafts, we got it right and Rebecca was able to start work on the illustrations, which perfectly capture the wonder of the snowy woodland as well as the snugness of the foxes den.

	This book is for Alice

Emmett and Harry combine their talents to produce a delightful winter story for the youngest readers. Alfie and Bonny, the fox cubs, would never think of disobeying their mother when she tells them not to leave the den while she goes off hunting. But when they look out of the entrance it has started to snow and the inquisitive cubs discover that snow is fun: it melts in your mouth and it tickles your tongue! Tempted out into the woods they play until they realise they are lost, and the snow has hidden their footprints.

This is a reassuring tale for toddlers who may at some point lose sight of a carer when outside the home. It shows that new experiences are exciting, and sometimes frightening, but that resolution and comfort are at hand. Harry’s soft-focus woodland illustrations complement the text, and there’s a touch of sparkle in them to add magic to a charming wintertime tale.

Bridget Carrington, ARMADILLO MAGAZINE

This book is so cute! The two little foxes are adorable, Bonnie brave and curious and Alfie more cautious, they can't resist the falling snow despite being told to stay where they are. Seriously though, who could? We don't get that much here and it's still magical to my daughter! When the two realise they have strayed a little too far and are lost there's a gentle tense atmosphere which had my daughter hooked, but not for long because everything is righted quickly in a humorous way that made us both chuckle. The storytelling is beautiful in this book, with just the right amount of atmosphere and a message that young children will understand. The ending is one that will leave you with a huge 'awwwwww' The illustrations are particularly gorgeous with lots of detail and plenty to look at.
Recommended for ages 3-7 years.

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