PPBF: The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night

Author/Illustrator: Peter Spier
Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young readers, 1961, 2014
Ages: 3-7yrs
Themes: fox, folk song, New England
Opening: The fox went out on a chilly night, and he prayed to the moon to give him light,for he’d many miles to go that night before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o…
Summary: (from my library catalog) The countryside of New England is depicted in the pictures accompanying this folk song in which a fox travels many miles to get dinner for his wife and ten cubs. Includes musical notation.

I like this book because: my sister used to lead us in song on long car rides while we were growing up, and one of our favorite drives was to go leaf peeping in New England, specifically into Connecticut, every Columbus Day. Though never out-of-print, this reissue is now full-color, as the illustrator was asked to add to the black and white spreads of the original book – over fifty years later! I enjoy both versions.

Resources/activities: learn to sing the song – music in the back of the book; discuss how a folk song might be different than a pop song, and list songs a family might enjoy singing on a car ride (just as the author and his wife sang this one!), as well as other activities we engage in to pass the time.

For more PPBF selections including resources and activities, go to Susanna Hill’s blog: HERE