"The problem was, Fox was only so high ... and the grapes were so, so, so high. 'No matter,' said he. I am sly. Clever. smart. After all, I am a fox."
Stop and ponder a few of these words - sly, clever, smart - and also think about the arrogance of 'I am a fox.'
Fox is certain he knows how to get those delicious grapes. He refuses to listen to the other animals who, as a reader, we can see, will have a much easier and potentially successful solution to the issue of obtaining those yummy grapes. He enlists the help of Bear and climbs onto his head but alas he is too short. Along comes Beaver.
"You stand on Bear's head ... I stand on your tail. And on the count of three - Bear gives a boost - as you give an oomph - which brings me - there - and voila! Grapes!"
Beaver has a much better plan, but Fox will not listen. He climbs the tower of Bear and Beaver, but he is still too short. Along comes Porcupine. And yes, you've guessed the pattern of a tower of animals is repeated and of course it fails and of course Porcupine did have a way better idea, but Fox did not listen. Similarly, he does not listen to Possum.
Next to arrive is Skunk but this time Fox declares defeat. Finally, this is the scene we have all been waiting for, Possum can run up the tree; Porcupine can shoot them down with his quills; Beaver can cut them down; and Bear can simply shake the tree.
Fox storms off in a huff declaring he won't eat those lousy, rotten, stinkin' grapes while all other the animals settle down to enjoy them - they are delicious, huge, and so juicy.
This book was published in 2009 and so sadly it is out of print but if you can track down a second hand copy, I do recommend this book as well worth adding to your school library collection.
Blog report by James Patterson: Unable to reach the tantalizing bunch of purple grapes high in a tree, Fox, who considers himself sly, clever, and smart, makes a plan to get them. "Hop. Skip. Jump. Flying leap. And . . . No grapes." Which is when he turns to Bear for help. Bear eyes Fox's written plan and tries to make a suggestion, but Fox cuts him of with, "Ta-ta-ta-a-ta. Bear, Bear, Bear, my dear dim buddy. Your job is brawn. Not brain. You leave the thinking to me." Fox climbs atop Bear's head, but he's still not high enough, which is why he enlists the help, in quick succession, of Beaver, Porcupine, and Possum, stacking the animals into a not-quite-high-enough tower. The dialogue is crackling and Moser's realistic watercolors are comical in Palatini's latest reworking of the well-known fable.
Review: We see both the animal’s predatory authority and his egotistical foolishness when he is shown launching himself wildly at the grapes from various absurd locations. What really seals this picture book as a bedtime choice for children ages 4-8, though, is Ms. Palatini’s lively dialogue…In the end, as in Aesop, Fox stamps away disgruntled. But in this version, the other creatures feast cheerfully on the elusive delicacy that was, for resourceful them, always within reach. Wall Street Journal
Book design - notice the purple paper on the end papers, the placement of the grapes and fox on the title page, the huge bunch of grapes on the next page, and the eyes of the animals on the cover!
Here is a 2011 blog post by Margie Palatini. I was surprised to discover a book by Margie Palatini that was illustrated by our Australian illustrator Bruce Whatley.
Here are some other books by Margie Palatini:
Barry Moser is the celebrated illustrator of nearly three hundred books for children and adults. His work can be found in the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, among many others. Barry Moser lives in Massachusetts.
Finally here are some Aesop collections worth finding and adding to a school library. You could also just browse the non fiction shelves at [398.24].
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