THEY ROMPED AND STOMPED

Two fox kits learn the sounds, sights, and smells of their habitat in this woodland adventure for emergent readers.

Scoot and Scamper are eager to explore the things they see and hear from their fox den. When they’re big enough to emerge, they happily splash in a nearby stream, taste grass, smell flowers, and play: “They romped and stomped, wrestled and rolled until all the flowers were tattered and torn.” When a moose arrives, Mother Fox calls them home. The next day, while learning to pounce under the watchful eyes of their parents, they discover a jumping creature that makes a familiar croaking noise and note the flower-crushing results of their previous behavior. The work is largely a sensory-filled vignette about two youngsters experiencing their world for the first time. The tenor of Rossmassler’s text is smooth and comforting, making it a good choice for bedtime reading. The vocabulary will be accessible for emergent readers, with plenty of sounds (gurgle-gurgle, croak-croak) to enhance read-alouds. The only consequence of crushing the flowers is that the foxes can no longer smell them, but it’s central enough that young readers may linger on what happens when youngsters behave carelessly. The author leaves plenty of room for her painted illustrations; several spreads feature no text, allowing readers to interpret art cues.

A playful, gentle tale of new experiences.