Literary Titan
Francis the Fox is living in the city near the sea. He wants his family to be proud of him, and he sends them photos and letters saying how wonderful he is doing. The problem is, it is all a lie, so he doesn�t want his family to come to visit him. Francis, however, comes up with a plan to make all his lies the truth and build his dream of Fox�s Palace. He makes some poor choices and tricks people into trying and making his dream a reality, but in the end, he discovers it doesn�t pay to lie and cheat people.
Children�s author Tuula Pere has written yet another fantastic and meaningful children�s book. This story teaches kids about the value of being honest and how being untruthful will only cause more considerable trouble in the end. Francis learns this by ending up in jail. While the message is important, it is told gently so that kindergarten children and young elementary students can comprehend it.
I loved the artwork done by Andrea Alemanno, the seaside was beautiful, and the characters really came to life. The colorful images will draw in children and the detailed work will keep them engaged throughout the story. Despite Francis being a sneaky fox, he does not come across as scary or evil. This helps to show that even when people make bad choices, they are not bad people. Mayor William Wolf allows Francis to see what he did was wrong and forgives him while ensuring that the fox knows he can not treat people so poorly.
Tuula Pere has taken some challenging topics and presented them so that children can follow along and understand actions have consequences. This beautiful children�s book would make a great addition to a classroom or library with an important message on how people should treat one another and the value of honesty.
