The Fox Wish

When a little girl named Roxie leaves her jump-rope at the park, she and her younger brother Lukie return to fetch it, only to find that a group of young foxes are trying to play with it. Roxie teaches her new vulpine friends how to jump rope - it is important to keep your tail up and in, so that

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it doesn't tangle with the rope! - but when evening comes and she tries to take her plaything, she discovers that one of the young foxes, also named Roxie, believes that is is hers, and came to her as the result of a wish for something with which to play. Roxie the little girl decides not to contest ownership with Roxie the fox cub, and she and Lukie race each other home...

Originally published in Japan as "Kitsune no Kamisama," this gentle, heartwarming tale addresses a number of complex ideas - the magic to be found out in the natural world, if one is looking for it; the parallels between human and animal, and the kinship between them; the rewards we receive when we surrender something we cherish in order to preserve the happiness and faith of another - in a way that is both graceful and emotionally satisfying. The translation is accomplished, and reads quite well, something particularly notable in the little rhyme the foxes chant as they play: "Doxy, foxy, / touch the ground. / Doxy, foxy, / turn around. / Turn to the east, / and turn to the west, / and choose the one that / you like best." This is particularly impressive, since poetry and rhyme are particularly difficult to translate believably. The accompanying artwork by Komako Sakai, done in acrylic gouache, oil pencil and ballpoint pen, is every bit as lovely as Kimiko Aman's story, capturing the vulpine charm of its foxy characters, and the sweet, goodhearted nature of Roxie and Lukie. With an engaging story, winsome characters, and lovely artwork, it's easy to see why The Fox Wish won the Japan Picture Book Award. I only hope more of this author and illustrator's works are translated into English!

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