Osage County First Grade’s continuing adulation of all things offered by children’s author Pamela Duncan Edwards and Illustrated by Henry Cole was fostered from the first book I read to them. 

   Among one of earliest books written by Duncan Edwards is the account of Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke.

    When Mom Fox embarks upon a five-day, solo trip to Florida and does not include her permanently voracious family of kits; the little ones are left with brother Fosdyke to fend for themselves.  Of course, it is not long before hunger sets in and the youthful foxes know they must develop a plan. 

  Perhaps they can filch fowl from the nearby farmer’s barnyard.

 On the other hand, brother Fosdyke is not an ordinary fox, he has no longing to filch fowl from the farmer’s barnyard.

   Rather he furthers a partiality for fries, fish, fennel, flan, figs, fungi, and French bread.  Frank, Floyd, Freddy and little sis Flo want no part of such funky food. 

  The foxy little brothers and Flo set out for the hen house first at 4:15, again at 4:45 and  once more at 5:15 on February 4 only to return home to their foxhole each time ravenous, unsatisfied and –out foxed- first by egg flinging fluffy fowl, followed by their fracas with a fierce foxhound and finally a face to face with the furious farmer.

   One major motivation for reading aloud to children in the classroom is to allow children the experience for hearing flow of how language goes together. The ebb and flow of spoken words may be missing for children who are often addressed in one-or-two word commands and may be left to satisfy their language development void by watching TV and playing with children whose own language skills may also be skimpy. 

   I found in the classroom; as children listen to stories written –just for them-, they do commence widening their awareness for how spoken language goes together. 

   Duncan Edwards’ repetitive writing methodology is met with bright eyed fervor each time Osage County First Grade notice Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke in my hand for –reading on the rug- time.    

   I was pleased to notice vocabulary building!  I felt delighted the morning a grandmother accompanied her grandson to the classroom and told me he had returned home the previous day and announced, ‘I am famished,’ before devouring his after school PBJ snack.

 While Writer Duncan Edwards may have not envisioned that Some Smug Slug as well as Four Famished Foxes would be alliterative; she noted that the words began to flow as the two books; which were among the earliest she created for children came into being.

 I am pleased that the writer did not modify the alliteration, Osage County First Grade enjoys searching for the words that –begin with a specific word as we work on beginning sounds papers for language arts/reading development.

   With at least 60 words all beginning with f on the pages of Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke; Emergent Readers are treated to a repetitive delicacy of a narrative offered pretty much in tongue twisting fashion.  As I turned from page to page; my students searched the graphics and listened with enthusiastic interest for each F. 

   Little Reader enthusiasm did not wane with recurrent readings, on the other hand, I always saw a definite increase in vocabulary as a heretofore unknown word began appearing in daily class vocabulary writing. 
Writer Duncan Edwards’ sustaining, pleasing vocabulary blending is balanced to excellence by Illustrator Henry Cole’s resourceful, vibrant, and dynamic hilarious images found enhancing the pages of this enticing work.

   I found Osage County First Graders did not need much encouragement before launching into  a recounting of the recurrent and marvelous words beginning with –f- as I read  Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke punctuated with many stops to allow little people occasion to converse re the words, the meanings and the sounds.

  By and large I found children tend to adore verbal communiqué; they like the way words tumble from their tongue and repeat as they voice the jargon, they hear spoken around them.  Anyone who has raised a child from infancy can attest to the singing and chatter little people engage in when playing with toys.

 Verbal communication is part of who we are and what we can become.

 I have found books jam-packed with words not always found in the daily repertory to be first-rate for helping children grow broader language skills and growing a more noteworthy vocabulary.

 When their tongue-twisting venture sets fox siblings Floyd, Flo, Frank and Fred on the hunt for a mouth-watering feast, the little fellows and sis are determined to get themselves fed with real fox food.

   It is when the foxes’ chicken-hunting enterprise is discouraged, that brother Fosdyke whips up, an on the whole vegetarian feast, which the famished little foxes find to be pretty darned amazing and not nearly as funky as they worried. 

   "What fascinating flavors," they cry.

Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke is just, plain an amusing book to read and to hear read aloud.  Thumbs up from Osage County First Grade. Happy to recommend for adding to the classroom book shelf, school, and public library catalogue, for gifting a special Emergent Reader, for gifting the class on first day of the new school term.

  Available school, library, paperback

=======================
Reviewed by Molly’s Reviews
molly martin
=======================

  AMAZON  About Pamela Duncan Edwards,  grew up in the Wirral, but has spent most of her adult life in the USA. She worked as a children's librarian before becoming a writer and is now the bestselling author of over 30 children's books.  

 Pamela Duncan Edwards is the author of numerous popular picture books, including Livingstone Mouse; Roar! A Noisy Counting Book; Some Smug Slug; The Worrywarts; Clara Caterpillar; Wake-Up Kisses; Rosie's Roses; The Leprechaun's Gold; and Gigi and Lulu's Gigantic Fight, all illustrated by Henry Cole; as well as Dear Tooth Fairy, illustrated by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick; McGillycuddy Could!, illustrated by Sue Porter; and The Neat Line, illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. She lives in Virginia.

About the Illustrator   Henry Cole was a celebrated science teacher for many years before turning his talents to children’s books. He has worked on nearly one hundred and fifty books for children, including Unspoken, Big Bug, A Nest for Celeste, Jack’s Garden, and On Meadowview Street. Henry loves being outside, where he can sketch and write. His favorite sound is the first robin song of the spring. You can visit him online at www.henrycole.net.