Pajama Press

“Known for her imaginative use of animals in storytelling, Belgian-born Nicole Snitselaar has created a charming tale about a scary thought. What if you went out with your mother one day and got lost? In this case, an exuberant little fox, playing in the snow, loses sight of his mother….

This book is beautifully illustrated by Venezuelan artist Alicia Padrón. There are no scary creatures or dark threatening corners in these woods, just soft fluffy snow and the most adorable animals you can imagine….”
—Lorie Pierce

Read the full review on page 48 of the December 2016-March 2017 issue of Life in Québec Magazine

“…In gentle, expressive text, Nicola Snitselaar spins a tale that goes far beyond a simple stranger danger warning. Her Little Fox, equipped with his own ingenuity as well as his mother’s wisdom, cleverly finds a way for the other animals to attract Mama Fox’s attention while keeping himself safe. Alicia Padron renders this resilient Little Fox and his forest companions in soft watercolors, their rounded shapes and endearing features easing any anxiety that little listeners might feel about being lost.”

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“Little Fox, Lost is a children’s picturebook with an important moral about safety. When a young fox strays far from home and becomes lost, what is he to do? Fortunately, he remembers what his mother taught him: ‘If ever you are lost, my child, / Don’t let a stranger guide you. / Be still, and I will search the wild / Until I am beside you.’ Little Fox, Lost is not only an endearing bedtime storybook; it’s also a good starting point for a parent-child discussion about safety. Highly recommended.”

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“Format: Hardcover

Rating: (1-5 5 is a starred review) 4

Genre:  Picture book

What did you like about the book? Originally written in French, this book was first published in Canada with the support of the Canadian council for the arts. It is a story of a little fox who has gone for a walk with his mother in the forest. When mother fox meets another fox and stops to chat, little fox sets off to explore on his own. He soon finds himself lost in the forest with nothing but lots of his footprints in the snow around him. When an old owl offers to show him the way home, he remembers his mother’s song about what to do if he ever gets lost. The happy ending reinforces the important message.

Anything you didn’t like about it? I liked everything about this book.

To Whom Would You Recommend this book? Told in a non-frightening way, this story addresses the situation of what to do if a child becomes separated from his mother. It’s a good story for parents to read to preschool children and for teachers to read in school to kindergarten classes. Without making children anxious about the situation, it teaches them a strategy.

Who should buy this book? All libraries

Where would you shelve it? Children’s Books

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes”
—Sandra Pacheco, ESL teacher, Washington, D.C.

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“Moving to the US wasn’t as big of a culture shock as we expected. Well, at least not until the results of the presidential election came in… We live in the liberal Pacific Northwest, so life is not so different from rainy Germany. After Finja was born I realized that education and upbringing in the US definitely is different from childhood in Germany though. One example: Stranger danger. Even with a policeman as a dad, my sister and I never were explicitly warned about strangers. Not because we were distrustful by nature, but it seems as if our parents were just not afraid of some outsider would come and swipe us away. I thought this was a generation conflict – after all I pedaled my bike through the dark woods when I was middle school aged. You can’t compare the 80s and 90s with today, can you? But speaking with my parent friends in Germany made me realize that it’s only not a question of generations – it’s a question of culture as well.

So with a naturally friendly and outgoing daughter I thought it was time to tell her about not wandering away (she loves to do that!) and not trusting anyone she doesn’t know – and even be careful of people she knows. But how can you do it without inflicting distrust and fear of other human beings?

I didn’t search for Nicole Snitselaar’s ‘Little Fox, Lost’, but it was the perfect solution to our problem….

‘Little Fox, Lost’ is a gentle story about getting lost and finding your way home again. We loved the snowy winter setting and the cute forest animals as well as the significance of the story – the illustrations by Alicia Padron are calming, they have a huge part in talking about a difficult topic without being frightening. Mother fox’s rhyme ‘If you ever are lost my child’ is easy to remember for children every age. This little ear worm can give them confidence if they should ever get lost for real….”
—Lena

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“Content rating: G

Little Fox and his mother come out of their den to go out for a walk on a sunny day after it had snowed all morning. Right from the beginning the setting in this book is perfect. A beautiful wintry day to explore the outdoors is what we as Canadians look forward to once fall is behind us. And what child can resist the lure of that sparkling snow in winter?…

I love books that provide a song. Children seem to remember better when text is put to music. My son also likes drawings of foxes so he took to this story quickly. Little Fox is cute, with his pointy face and bushy tail. The illustrations are simple but adorable. They are in soft watercolor using soothing earth tone colors. Perfect for a gentle story for the young but with powerful lessons.

This book teaches four lessons: 1) for parents to always keep a watchful eye on their little one because it is very easy for them to wander off; 2) for parents to teach their children what to do when lost; 3) for children to stay in place and not follow a stranger, and 4) for children to use their skills to attract help, such as when Little Fox got the other animals in the forest to sing with him so their raised voices together would help his mother find him.

The translation from the original French version Petit renard se perd was well done. If the reader doesn’t know it’s translated, one can’t tell that it is. The flow is good and the text appropriate for the age range. This book is an excellent addition to both a school and home library and could become a favorite, especially if a mother memorizes the song and sings it as she takes her child out with her on errands.”—Laura Fabiani & Son

“This is certainly a week for Pajama Press on CanLit for LittleCanadians with Little Fox, Lost being the third book from this publisher that I’ve reviewed in the past 4 days. That says a lot about Pajama Press’s releases. Except for review copies, which I get from many publishers, I receive no renumeration for any reviews. I just review those books that I believe need to be read and Little Fox, Lost is such a book. Written by French author Nicole Snitselaar and illustrated by Venezuelan Alicia Padrón, and translated by Pajama Press’s own Erin Woods, Little Fox, Lost is a beautiful, soft book in textual sentiment and physical texture (it has that wonderful cushioned cover) with illustrations evocative of the majesty and solitude of a forest in winter….

Little Fox, Lost has a happy ending to a fearful situation for both parent and child, and I suspect that the rhythmic verse in Little Fox, Lost could become a go-to teaching tool for telling a child what to do when lost. If there is a tune with it, that verse could become widespread in child safety measures. But, in the meanwhile, read Little Fox, Lost with your children at home and at school to inform them about what to do if lost and reassure them that they will be found. Because of Alicia Padrón’s stunning artwork, children will lulled into the story and captivated by her delicate creatures and expansive landscapes. There’s a softness and quiet that comforts and envelops the reader in a blanket of safety and support, and even have you looking forward to winter and snow. (I just wish my scanner could depict more accurately the colours within.)

Everything about Little Fox, Lost is sublime, from the lyrical text and its message, to the artwork, the cover, the framing of the words on the page, and the endpapers. Little Fox, Lost is lovely, through and through, and deserving of appreciative readings, over and over.”
—Helen K

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…Originally published in French, this nonthreatening story acts as an important conversation starter for children about strangers and getting lost. Snitselaar’s text explores negative emotions like fear, anxiety and uncertainty that children may associate with being separated from a caregiver….Most significantly, children are reminded that they should not automatically trust strangers, but that seeking help can be a positive thing. The story also champions ingenuity, emphasizing that it is important to be creative when faced with a problem. In support of the gentle tone of the text, Padrón’s soft, pastel illustrations convey a sense of warmth and safety despite Little Fox’s predicament. As a result, young readers will not become afraid, but instead, will come away from the story feeling reassured and empowered. Little Fox, Lost is an effective and compassionate way to begin a discussion about strangers with young children, making it a recommended addition to classroom and library collections.

Read the entire review in Resource Links October 2016 issue on page 12

Little Fox waits tentatively, quietly. He thinks that even if his mother cannot see him, she might be able to hear him. He begins to sing, and gradually other forest animals join in the chorus to alert Mama Fox to where her little one is. Of course, there is a happy ending as Mama arrives, coming to take Little Fox back to their den to curl up together to sleep.

Snitselaar has written a pleasant, if not highly original, story that will reassure young listeners about parental love. Soft sepia-toned illustrations show simple animal figures on a white background that imparts a chill winter feeling.

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“A Québecois import offers a cautionary wintertime tale. In this pretty book, Mama Fox invites Little Fox out for a walk in the inviting snowy woods, warning him to stay close so that he won’t get lost. Little Fox, however, enchanted with his own game of making “pictures in the snow” with his paw prints, soon becomes discombobulated and lost. The rosy-cheeked Old Owl offers to guide him to Mama, but Little Fox remembers his mother’s admonishing rhyme: “If ever you are lost my child / Don’t let a stranger guide you. / Be still, and I will search the wild / Until I am beside you.” Various cute animals of the forest join in with Little Fox (including Old Owl after a grumble or two), and they sing this rhyme together, until the happy ending when Mama arrives, proud that Little Fox “had done exactly what he should.” Padrón’s cute animals and soft scenes of winter woods, done in muted grays, blues, and earth tones, pair well with the gentle words of this story to reach a satisfying conclusion and a gentle lesson for the very young for whom this story is intended. While the puffy cover seems to signal “gift shop book”…young ones will surely be comforted by the reuniting of Mama and Little Fox. (Picture book. 1-5)”

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