Nanny Fox by Georgie Adams and Selina Young (Children's, Picture book, 10E/10E)

July 2013, Orion Children's, 32 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Themes: farm life, animals' nature, being different, chicksitting, theft,

Content: morals, helping others, humour

Summary from Orion

Arnold Fox loves chickens - not to eat, just as friends. So Arnold packs his bags and goes to the farm where he becomes Nanny Fox to Mrs Buff Orpington's six fluffy chicks. But one night his brother and sister come hunting..

Nayuleska's thoughts

By humour I don't necessarily mean jokes, I mean events which made me smile and giggle. These included the pages before the story started with the chicks scattered about, The apron and shawl on the hens, how Arnold's difference was portrayed when his family ate, the sheer cuteness of the fluffy chicks as they paraded into a basket/kept Arnold busy keeping an eye on them, the pillow fighting incident, and the way the chicks tumbled out of the hen house. 

I know Arnold is the main character - a fine, upstanding member of society who may nudge a few to become vegetarian - but the stars of the story for me, if you hadn't already guessed, are the chicks. Their expressions, the way they flap their wings and have fun won me over straight away - I doubt few can resist their charms! 

Find out more about Georgie's work on her website,  Selina died in 2006.

Suggested read

Georgie has written many other books including the sweet Railway Rabbits series - I've reviewed several including Berry and the Amazing Maze (Children's, 5 years +, 10E/10E) 

Another fox based read is The Fox and It by Beanie Lei (Children's, Picture book, 10E/10E)