Red Fox Running by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Wendell Minor

When I first chose Eve Bunting as the focus of my project, I did not know why but she sounded familiar. As it turns out, it was this book. We probably read it in first or second grade, I think that it might have even been a big book. This is another of those books that I am glad to have gotten the chance to go back over. When I was little, my focus was art, and as such all I noticed in this book were the amazing illustrations. And while really I cant be blamed, I was missing out on a wonderful story. I think that what I like most about it is that it is written like a poem. It isn't wordy but it paints a detailed picture of what is happening in the story.

"Red fox running,

running through the snow,

white sky above,

and white earth below."

And now I'm afraid that I must go back to the illustrations because they really are just that awesome. It seems as though they are done in watercolor because of the way that the paint is dark in places but never quite opaque. They are also very detailed. Eve Bunting must have liked them a lot too as there are seven pages with text and twenty pages dedicated to illustration. It is almost as if the illustrations existed first, and Eve Bunting came in and wrote a description.

This book is recommended for ages 4-8 but really it could go a little older to introduce a poetry unit to students. I would absolutely buy this one.