100 Scope Notes Investigative Report: The Foxes of 2017
And we thought we saw some foxes in 2016.
My team of investigators have looked into the 2017 Fox Sitch¹ and hoo boy did they come up with some stuff.
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Is the fox the children’s literature animal of 2016 and 2017? Is there another that will knock it off the pedestal²?
¹Situation
²Bears?
Allow me to present Exhibits A-W:
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About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
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In late summer 2013 I thought of a new picture book idea. It was to star a family of foxes. I set it aside because I had other book deadlines to tend to.
In October “What does the fox say” hit the top of the music charts and kids *everywhere* knew the lyrics. It became such a huge hit that I knew my fox book would have lots of company by the time it came out. I switched my characters to a different animal. The book hasn’t sold yet — it’s not ready. As I knew would happen, foxes started to take over children’s literature last year (it takes time to write and sell a book, and then about two more years for it to be published). I think the trend will continue for another year or two. And then when the next big craze sweeps the nation (April the Giraffe?), another animal will be king for a few years.
Don’t forget the 2017 picture book All Ears, All Eyes by Richard Jackson. Also pretty foxy.