Foxes, Thieves, and Bunny Traps
This is a well-written (lots of nice scenery descriptions) series of stories for children that can be read separately, but actually build to a satisfactory conclusion in the last story. There is a wild animal/bird in each account that is included to help children appreciate the created world. The conversation between children and between the children and adults is very natural and age appropriate. The questions at the end of each story are very well designed to provoke thought about wise versus foolish behavior, or promote further understanding about elements of the gospel. To get the best value out of the book, it should be read by an adult to a child. My only concern involves the inclusion of a Hispanic family as the new neighbors. The author is Canadian and may not have much exposure to the latin culture. First, she has a parent tell his child that the people are "Spanish" which may be Canadian terminology. Here in the U.S., we use the term Hispanic to mean Spanish-speaking people from Central or South America. Second, she tells a whole story around this family celebrating a traditional American Thanksgiving. My husband and I are involved with a Hispanic congregation and have many Hispanic friends. We always invite some of them over for Thanksgiving every year. Those of our acquaintance do not like traditional American Thanksgiving food and so we serve something different on that holiday. There are also a few other details about the family that make them seem manufactured. This would only be apparent to an adult, so it wouldn't be noticeable to your child. The book is well worth reading aloud to your children.
