Cover Image: The Woods

The Woods

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Cute and silly picture book about three foxes who are on the hunt for delicious rabbits to eat. But they can't seem to find any in the woods! (But I bet the reader will spot them!) Fun ending that that kids will enjoy along with the illustrations throughout.

Was this review helpful?

Three foxes of various builds (tall, round and short with almost beak-like mouths) are out to find yummy, tasty, rabbits. Though they are having trouble locating any, conveniently there are signs posted throughout the woods directing the way to rabbits. Children will love to point out that there are indications in the illustrations of rabbits watching the foxes. You see, the foxes have been under surveillance in their quest for rabbits.

They follow the signs over tall trees, under the carrot fields, and through the pumpkin patch, but they find no rabbits.

So do the rabbits have a plan of their own, or will the foxes find their way to a tasty meal?

My Thoughts

What Concerned Me: One, I wasn’t a real fan of the illustrations. But more importantly, the last of the book just didn’t work for me. The humor didn’t feel child-like and the use of the word stupid in the last sentence certainly didn’t feel right.

What I Liked Most: I did think the cover was cute. And due to the rabbits hiding in the illustrations, I believe the first part of the book will certainly appeal to children.

All in all, there still are very fun things about the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Lincoln Books for the advanced copy.

Was this review helpful?

I liked the illustrations, especially the little pink worm on each page. But after reading the book three times, I don’t really get it.
In the end the rabbits refer to the foxes as being stupid. I guess they kind of are because the reader has no problem finding the rabbits on every page as the foxes hunt the rabbits for food.
Children will like outwitting the foxes by seeing the rabbits when they cannot.
Thank you Netgally and Lincoln Children’s books for allowing me to read and review this book.

Was this review helpful?

What do three foxes do when they are on the hunt for rabbits? They search all through the woods, of course. Over the tallest trees, under the carrot fields, and through the pumpkin patch... but no rabbits. Will Tall Fox, Round Fox, and Tiny Fox give up? Never!! But when they finally come across a group of rabbits, what happens will blow your mind!! Don't miss this hilarious new 2019 book!!

This is such a cute book! The illustrations are precious and these foxes will make you laugh out loud. This will make a fantastic read aloud.

Was this review helpful?

This is a silly book. And like all silly books, if you stop to ask what the heck is goin on, then you won't like it.

The three foxes are looking for rabbits. And like The Cave, which is also by the same author, there is a twist at the end.

The illustrations are fun to look at, and children will probably love reading about the funny looking foxes.

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-10.29.03-PM.png" alt="The woods" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5033" />

But the ending is odd, and kind of doesn't make sense.

But as I said, you can't stop and think about silly books deeper meaning, or you won't end up liking it.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

The Woods is a charming and a bit funny picture book with some amazing artwork. It was fun to read about the mischief of the foxes.

Was this review helpful?

Word choices ruined this one for me. Numbskull, stupid... parents spend so much time trying to broaden their child's vocabulary than to use lame insulting language such as this. The illustrations were good, it's unfortunate the author didn't try to rise above and be clever in his insults. .

Was this review helpful?

A fun quick read. I thought the humor was good and I know my kids will laugh quite a bit. The illustrations are great.

Was this review helpful?

Although I found the narrative to be too simple in mood/weight...it still had its hehe moments which is also convey in this cartoony-fun illustrations

Was this review helpful?

When you pick up a children’s book you generally expect cute pictures with good messages that are interesting for the age group while sometimes throwing in some humour. This wasn’t that. The illustrations are simple and silly (worm watching tv underground) but not overly appealing, kind of scribbly and awkward.

Though there was a hint of humour in the backstory, the story itself was a bit dark for the age group. (We must capture and devour every last delicious rabbit…) Yes, foxes eat rabbits. It’s still a children’s book. There was also name calling and one rabbit had a very bad attitude. The appropriateness is questionable… I won’t be going out to buy this for my 3 year old.

Was this review helpful?

The Woods is a short story about three foxes, who are out to hunt rabbits. Although the illustrations were fun and filled with vibrant colors, the story was quite strange. It felt quite flat, and the ending was very strange.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this short colourful story of three hapless foxes on a hunt for rabbits. The illustrations are in the same delightfully quirky style as the author’s previous book, the Cave. This time I did expect a twist, but was still surprised and entertained by this cautionary tale of misleading appearances. Kids will, no doubt, love commenting on the foxes’ arduous and fruitless journey as well as spotting the ever-present hunter’s eyes and the shenanigans of the cute pink worm.
Strongly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group/ Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

"Here are the woods. The woods are home to three foxes. Three foxes are on a hunt... for rabbits."


Thus begins a tale of search and destroy. But will they succeed? Tiny Fox, Tall Fox, and Round Fox are on a mission to round up a buffet of mouth-watering rabbits to eat.

Their search takes them over the tallest trees... nope, no rabbits there, under the carrot fields... nah, no rabbits there, and then through the pumpkin patch... no... no rabbits there, just to name a few.

After an exhausting day they wonder if they will ever catch a rabbit, might be easier to catch doughnuts or acorns they speculate. The next day, three determined foxes, resume their seemingly impossible task. Then finally the unexpected happens. A surprise awaits them that they never in a million years expected to find!

The illustrations are colourful, quirky and quite unique. Kids will love outfoxing the foxes by discovering rabbits on each page which of course are unknown to the not-so-sly canines who are deep into stalking mode. Kids can also find a little pink worm on the pages. He moves always onward as the story progresses. The delightful little worm also appears on the author's website which is a fun connection to discover.

This humorous tale will be a hit with its interactive components and the animated and expressive characters. It is a shoo-in to entertain those (young and old) who give it a read. I like it a lot and would recommend it.

Was this review helpful?

I thought this little book for children was a lot of fun. The illustrations were quirky and the rabbits were very ingenious and always hiding somewhere nearby. It will be fun for children to find them throughout the book. Also have your children look for the cute little worm on a lot of the pages. The ending was a bit strange, but overall I liked it.

Was this review helpful?

(Charlotte is my 6 year old daughter) Charlotte chose this one as she loved the cover and wanted to know more. It isn't a long book and so she was able to read it aloud without annoying too many people. The characters are well presented and not just identical, they each had their own look. The way the story progresses was easy to follow along with the pictures. Most of the words were easy to read and so the story flowed without needing to stop and sound out the words and asking for explanations. That was until near the end when the word 'numskull' was used. This wasn't a word Charlotte had come across before and so I had to explain to her what it meant. Over all the book was cute, flowed well and entertaining with the twist at the end.

Charlotte's views:
"I liked the way the story says there is no rabbits but you can find rabbits hiding in the pictures. It was funny when the fox fell in the water. I really like the rabbits in the end. I want to read more like this book."

Highly recommended, great for young children and young readers.

Was this review helpful?

The Woods is a colorful picture book with a cute and silly story. This would be a great addition to any little one's collection.

Was this review helpful?

What a great story, my 3 year old loved it. Beautifully animated and perfect for his age. I would definitely buy this book. He named the foxes George!

Was this review helpful?

I loved the book The Cave and have that on my shelves at home.
Seeing the same author and a new title I was immediately drawn to it. I cannot wait for this to come out in book form. I will be saving my book voucher for this publication.
Stunning illustrations, a funny story and a twist at the end- everything a perfect story needs!

I could imagine this being read aloud in a classroom or library and everyone guessing who the creature stalking the foxes might be, and why the foxes can't see the rabbits throughout the book. I found this to be particularly funny as they aren't far from the foxes, even though the foxes seem completely unaware of them.

I laughed out loud, admired the illustrations and enjoyed every page.

An excellent addition to any bookshelf!

Was this review helpful?

The Woods, the newest release from Rob Hodgson, follows the story of three foxes as they go on a quest to track down some rabbits. In a quirky twist, the clever rabbits in this scenario are leading the foxes into a trap so they can, in fact, capture the foxes. It's amusing...kind of.

I'm a little underwhelmed by this book. Perhaps it will appeal more to children (which I guess is kind of the point) but I just found it a little bizarre. The story seems funny initially, but when you get to the end of the story it all seems a little senseless.

The illustrations are colourful and certainly have the same quirky factor as the story. I especially liked the way the rabbits were hidden throughout and imagine children will have fun trying to spot them. The purpose of the pink worm confused me but I did enjoy all the little underground scenes, such as the bear tucked up in his hibernation spot and the worm enjoying a night in front of the TV.

While this may appeal to some, it is not a book I would be purchasing for our 'Little Library'.

Was this review helpful?

Although I really like the interplay this kind of picture book stimulates, the kids can outsmart the foxes by finding the rabbits that reportedly aren't there, I am disappointed by the ending.
I am sure that some kids will find it absolutely hilarious that the hunters become the hunted, but for me it is just a tad meh and uninspired. I also really do not like the use of the word st*pid. Totally unnecessary and, especially because this is a children's book, quite in poor taste.
Please google ableist slurs if you aren't sure what I am talking about.

So for me this one is a pass, but I have heard great things about The Cave so I will probably give that one a shot in the future.

Was this review helpful?