A FOX, A PIG, AND A DIG

Fox and Pig have some fun—and laughs—in the sun.

Perky pals Fox and Pig, with Fox’s doll (Mister Fox) in tow, decide to head to the beach. Pig enjoys napping (and slurping on a refreshing beverage). Fox, on the other hand, prefers to dig. While Pig slumbers, Fox attempts to trick his porcine friend by making a sand sculpture of himself and pretending to be buried under it. That scheme ultimately backfires, but Fox isn’t deterred. He tries again. This time he digs a hole to hide in, throws Mister Fox into the sea, and screams for help. As the tide comes in, Fox’s hole fills with water, and he uses a straw to breathe. Pig isn’t fooled—“I know THAT fox is just a doll”—and decides to cool off by jumping into the small pool. Oh no. He lands on a lump. Is that Fox underneath him or a creature from the sea? As with others in this series, color-coded speech bubbles, rhymes, and word repetition help support (and entertain) emerging readers. Fenske uses a simple, limited vocabulary, with a few longer words such as underneath, creature, and COWABUNGA. This three-part romp (more like two with a short third) takes familiar characters to a summery new setting. The silent crab character provides extra comedic relief while witnessing the cartoonish antics.

A breath of fresh air for the series.