This is probably one of Henry's shortest and "youngest" stories. Compared to the many others I've read, this one feels like it's written for a younger child. It's more irreverent and cartoonish in the sense of anthropomorphizing the foxes instead of telling it realistically like her other books. So while the other books I've gone on to enjoy as an adult, I didn't enjoy this one. It wasn't bad, but it didn't transcend age for me. ( )

The eponymous Cinnabar leads General George Washington and his fox-hunting companions on a merry chase in this engaging animal story from Marguerite Henry, a children's author better known for her many pony books, from Misty of Chincoteague to Justin Morgan Had a Horse. A cunning hunter and a clever prey, Cinnabar was a fox with a strong sense of adventure, and a mischievous liking for playing tricks. Dependable to the extreme - his moniker, 'the one o'clock fox,' was derived from the fact that he always, without fail, appeared on hunting day at one o'clock, eager to give the huntsmen and their dogs a good run - Cinnabar is particularly eager for the thrill of the hunt at the beginning of the story, as his recent duties as the father of an up and coming litter of hungry pups had given him little time for recreation. But although the day starts off in a manner pleasing to our vulpine hero - Cinnabar manages to hopelessly entangle the hounds in a large cornfield, and to escape after getting a dunking at the local grist mill - an encounter with a leg trap set by the angry Farmer Grimm leaves him missing a toe, and in great pain. Has Cinnabar finally been defeated, or will the One O'clock Fox triumph again...?

Apparently based upon a real fox that frequently challenged George Washington and his hunt to a chase, but was never captured - Henry cites folk stories told by illustrator Wesley Dennis's wife, but I'd love to know if there is any mention of this fox in the historical record - Cinnabar is an engaging hero. Although I find sport hunting repugnant, and am rather doubtful that the prey enjoys the process as much as the hunter, I do find it fascinating that foxes, in particular, are often depicted as equal participants in the process. Seen as clever - often, just as clever as their human adversaries - foxes are rarely viewed as victims of human aggression in these hunting stories, even when the competition is uneven, pitting men, horses, dogs and guns against one lone fox. Clearly there is something self-serving about this idea - a justification for the enjoyment that hunting a small animal provides? - but the researcher in me also suspects it owes something to the long-standing human perception of our vulpine friends as emblems of both cunning and mischievous fun, perceptions dating back to the medieval stories of Reynard the Fox, and beyond. However that may be, despite my distaste at the idea of sport hunting in general, and fox hunting in particular, I did find this story engaging, no doubt because it encourages the reader to identify with Cinnabar, and root for his triumph. I appreciated the map of the hunt that is included at the beginning of the story, and found the many illustrations by Wesley Dennis - who worked with Henry on many of her books - delightful. I did wonder a bit at the author's choice to anthropomorphize Cannibar to the extent that she did - rather than have him live in a naturalistic den with his mate, Vicky, and his pups, she shows him in an almost human abode, complete with rocking chair, dining table and fireplace - but here again I see the influence of the Reynard stories, which often utilized a similar mixture of naturalistic and anthropomorphic, in the depiction of the fox-hero. Just as interesting as the depiction of Cinnabar's home, is the fact that he seeks shelter in a church after being wounded during the hunt, and is given aid by a kindly charwoman, who quotes from Matthew - "Inasmuch as ye hae done it unto one of the least of these, ye hae done it unto me" - to justify her actions. Is Henry herself deliberately calling the legitimacy of the hunt into question in this scene, contrasting it with the correct Christian way of behaving toward all of God's creatures? I'd have to read more of her work to see what her general stance on sport hunting is, to be sure, but it's an intriguing idea.

All in all, Cinnabar: The One O'Clock Fox is an entertaining tale, one I would recommend to child readers who enjoy animal stories, or to any reader interested in the depiction of foxes in children's literature. ( )