Author
Patricia C. McKissack remembers her grandfather as a master storyteller; nothing
matched the summer evenings when she snuggled up with him on the porch swing
and he shared such tales as Flossie &
the Fox. Big Mama asks Flossie to carry fresh eggs to their neighbor Miz
Viola who has been bothered by a fox stealing her chickens’ eggs. Warned by Big
Mama that the fox is a sly one and loves eggs, Flossie nonetheless sets off
confidently through the woods, wondering what a fox looks like. When
Flossie meets a critter who introduces himself as a fox and says she should be
terrified of him, she doesn’t believe he is a fox. She skips on her way, saying, “Well, whatever you are, you sho’ think a heap of yo’self.” The fox confronts
her again and again, and each time Flossie dismisses his proof that he is a
fox. His fur feels soft like rabbit fur, so he must be a rabbit. His nose is
pointy like a rat, so “You a rat trying to pass yo’self off as a fox." Flossie
reduces the fox to tears of frustration when she won’t be convinced. Soon they are near Miz Viola’s house, where the hounds will take care of him and
Flossie can safely deliver her eggs. Rachel Isadora’s rich artwork creates the
perfect setting for this timeless story of smart, spunky Flossie refusing to be
frightened as she outfoxes the fox. Ages
4 up.
