How important is friendship? How important is caring for others and oneself? Today I am sharing a new picture book that reminds me of an old fable. According to this article on Canadian Mental Health Association, "the lack of human connection can be more harmful to your health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure. ... Social connection can lower anxiety and depression, help us regulate our emotions, lead to higher self-esteem and empathy, and actually improve our immune systems." (Source) Wow! That makes social connection extremely important and something we want to teach young children how to have. Today I am sharing a book about a fox who does not want to connect with anyone, but he learns that connecting is important by the end. The book is BrindleFox by John Sandford. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. I am also including a fox craft round-up to go with the book.
From the Publisher:
Immerse yourself in a world reminiscent of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale with this gorgeously illustrated story about a reclusive fox, a mysterious tree, and the life-giving power of friendship.BrindleFox refuses to be a friend, so he has no friends. He never lets anyone into his home, so he doesn’t bother to clean it. Moss and ivy weave through his furniture, and weeds and grasses grow on his floors and in his drawers. One morning, he discovers something unexpected—a tree has begun sprouting from his back. Unphased by this development, he continues on with his life, and the tree continues to grow. One day, a strange heron appears in his tree. Furious, BrindleFox attempts to drive the intruder away and finds himself stunned by something he doesn’t understand—a selfless act of kindness from a fearless new friend.
Brilliantly illustrated, BrindleFox touches on themes of sadness, loneliness, self-care, and the redeeming power of friendship in simple ways that children will intuitively understand. Little ones will be welcomed into a world brimming with hidden wonders and memorable characters that they will want to revisit time and time again.
From Me:
I loved this book. It reminds me of the old fables and fairy tales. BrindleFox is a grumpy man who cuts himself off from everyone else. As a result, he stops truly caring for himself. His house is a mess and weeds and plants take over it as well as some growing on his back! Can you imagine walking around with a tree growing on your back? The heron finds him and at first bothers him but soon offers friendship through a pie. Perhaps she felt guilty about swinging from the branches of the tree on his back but for whatever reason she decides to befriend him and finds a way to do it.
Just her nice gesture of the pie makes BrindleFox thank her. Her offer of more pie makes him clean up himself and his home. She teaches him the importance of friendship and this book truly illustrates how important it is for us to feel connected with one another. It is a sweet story with beautiful illustrations. I hope you will check it out!
Fox Craft Round-up
To go with this book I thought it would be fun to make a fox craft. The fox in the book is greyish in color but many of the fox crafts are for red foxes. Most can easily have a color change though. I have divided the crafts up by ones made exclusively with paper and ones with other materials.
1. 3D Printable Fox Craft (template requires membership) from Arty Crafty Kids
2. Printable Fox Bookmarks (with free template) from The Craft Train
3. Paper Collage Fox Craft from Easy Peasy and Fun
4. 3D Paper Fox Craft (template requires membership) from Arty Crafty Kids
5. Paper Plate Fox Craft (with free template) from Simple Everyday Mom
6. Fox Hat (with free template) from The Craft Train
7. Heart Fox Craft (with free template) from Artsy Craftsy Mom
8. Easy Fox Craft (with free template) from Simple Everyday Mom
9. Handprint Artic Fox Craft from Our Kid Things
10. Handprint Fox Craft from Easy Peasy and Fun
11. Paper Bag Fox Craft (with free template) from Our Kid Things
12. Fox Paper Bag Craft (with free template) from Simple Everyday Mom
14. Fox Peg Doll
15. Fox Leaf Craft from Easy Peasy and Fun
16. Cardboard Tube Fox (with free template) from The Craft Train
17. Cardboard Roll Fox from Our Kid Things
18. Toilet Paper Roll Fox from The Best Ideas for Kids
19. Felt & Toilet Paper Roll Fox
20. Paper Plate Fox from Artsy Craftsy Mom
21. Felt Fox Craft (with free template) from Artsy Craftsy Mom
