Deborah Hartley

A young boy narrates this tale of his grandfather's nighttime adventure, many winters ago, when he missed the train and had to walk home through the snow. Deciding to cut some miles from his trek by crossing the frozen lake, grandfather found what he thought was a dead fox, and elated at this windfall - its pelt would bring ten dollars - he headed home with new energy. But when he arrived, and placed the fox at his doorstep, that cunning creature jumped up and, warmed by his ride over grandfather's shoulders, ran off into the night...

Apparently the story in Up North in Winter is based upon a journal of reminiscences kept in author Deborah Hartley's family, and actually happened to her great-grandfather, in the winter of 1911. It reminded me of similar folktales, in which a clever vulpine hero plays dead, although here the implication is that the fox was just too cold to move. In any case, I enjoyed the story, and (as a fox lover) was glad that the fox escaped. The accompanying artwork from illustrator Lydia Dabcovich was quite appealing - the indoor human scenes warm and cozy, the outdoor winter vistas beautiful. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for wintry tales and/or stories featuring foxes.… (meer)