Little Fox, Lost

Little Fox’s paw prints make such beautiful pictures in the newly fallen snow. Left here, right there, around that fallen branch—he scatters them throughout the forest until, too late, he finds he can’t retrace his steps back home. Lost and afraid, Little Fox wants to agree when a kind, old owl offers to fly ahead and guide him. But Mama Fox has warned him often: “If ever you are lost, my child, / don’t let a stranger guide you. / Be still and I will search the wild / until I am beside you.”

In gentle, expressive text, Nicole Snitselaar spins a tale that goes far beyond a simple “stranger danger” warning. Her Little Fox, equipped with his own ingenuity as well as his mother’s wisdom, cleverly finds a way for the other animals to attract Mama Fox’s attention while keeping himself safe. Alicia Padrón renders this resilient Little Fox and his forest companions in soft watercolors, their rounded shapes and endearing features easing any anxiety that little listeners might feel about being lost.