A Pig, a Fox and a Box; Jonathan Fenske

It is not often that I recommend a levelled book as I’m a big believer that children should have freedom of choice when it comes to book selection and should not be confined by colours, bands or levelled books. However, I am willing to make an exception for A Pig, a Fox and a Box.

“I am Fox. I am Pig. I am little. I am big.” Despite their differences, Pig and Fox love to hang out and play together. Today, Fox has a box and is looking forward to playing some tricks on Pig. But when his plans go somewhat awry, will Fox still want to play tricks with his box on Pig…

A Pig, a Fox and a Box is a funny read about the antics of another animal duo that will appeal to fans of the Mo Willems books Elephant & Piggie. The escapades of Fox and Pig are told over three short stories that invariably see Fox getting his comeuppance as his pranks backfire on him. By the time the third story is told, a battered, bruised and bandaged Fox has decided that he has had enough of playing for today.

Told entirely through rhyming dialogue, the simple word choices and repetitive phrasing supports language development. Colour coded speech bubbles help readers follow who is talking and the large and clear illustrations convey much of the humour.

Recommended for 5+.