Cover Image: The Woods

The Woods

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Member Reviews

A mostly cute story about three foxes trying to hunt rabbits in the woods, but failing to do so. The rabbits are just too smart for them, and catch the foxes in the end. The illustrations are really fun, and little ones will enjoy seeing the rabbits hiding in the scenery. Also, there's a little pink worm somewhere in each picture, and I'm not ashamed to admit I enjoy looking for him! The not so cute part was a bit of name calling- the foxes call each other numbskulls at one point, and the foxes are referred to as stupid at the end. It's just the two times name calling happens, but still. Overall, though, a fun story.

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Three foxes are in the woods hunting for rabbits to eat, but the rabbits are nowhere to be found. Even with a sign pointing them in the right direction, they cannot find them anywhere. But the truth is, the sign was put up by the rabbits who have been stealthily following them all along the way, doing what they can to avoid being dinner.

I want to start out on a positive note, so I'm going to say that I enjoyed the illustrations. They were very bold and colorful and incorporate a lot of orange (like, a lot, a lot) which is one of my favorite colors. However...

I had a few issues with this book. The foxes had angry expressions on their faces the entire time, giving the strong feeling that the foxes were bad. Mean. That pursuing their natural prey was a cruel thing to do, instead of an innate and necessary thing for their survival. It was suggested they could eat donuts or acorns instead (seriously???). I'm all about stretching a child's imagination, I just don't think this stretches in the right direction.

What I really disliked was the name calling. The foxes call each other numbskull and the rabbits refer to the foxes as stupid. Now, as a parent, I spend a fair amount of time reminding my children that it is never, ever ok to call someone a name. We don't say people are stupid. We don't call people morons. It isn't kind or helpful, and it hurts people's feelings. So it goes without saying that I'm not going to read a book to my children, or recommend a book for other children, that uses name calling for any purpose other than to provide an example of why it's wrong.

Needless to say, this is a hard pass for me.

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I sweet children's book that I read to my granddaughter and she loved it . Well written. I loved this book and the illustration.. a great storyline with a great message.

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What a lovely title, with naughty foxes and even naughtier rabbits. The art is distinctive, bright and clear. The text is funny, and the forest is well realised with good humour.

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I really enjoyed reading this one . I read it with my toddler and we both had a laugh reading it.
I liked the fact the foxes and the rabbits were all different sizes and shapes.
The illustration is lovely too.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Arc of this book, All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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This is a story of 3 foxes hunting in the forest for delicious rabbits. But during their hunt they find more trouble than they bargained for and learn that they may not be at the top of the food chain after all. We really enjoyed the quirky illustrations. The story was funny and quick paced, holding my 3 year old's attention to the end. The resolution is unexpected and had us laughing. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the namecalling. The last thing I need is my kiddo picking up "numbskull" and "stupid" as insults for his peers and I think many parents would feel the same. It was a fun, one time read, but not a message I hope sticks with my little guy.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this title.

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Aborable! Wasn't quite sure how the rabbit hunt was going to end but endi with a fox hunt! Hilarious! Kids got a kick out of it as well! Can't get over how cute this book is lol

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How can I not want to read a book that's named after my family? No, it's not really named after me, you silly goose, but the book isn't about geese, either. Or about woods - excepting in that it takes place in the woods. It's really about foxes versus rabbits, and while foxes are supposed to be cunning and crafty, you'll find that maybe the rabbits can teach them a thing or two, especially since the foxes aren't too smart.

I read and enjoyed this author's The Cave and if you're familiar with that, you'll realize he likes to put a twist in the tale if not in the tail, so expect one here! The foxes, one tall, one small, one round, all clowns, are hunting rabbits, but they're not having much success no matter where they seek out these liberated lagomorphs. Observant children might be a bit better at spotting rabbits than the foxes are. They can even emulate the foxes by maybe climbing on a chair to simulate climbing a tree, and crawling under the table to simulate crawling through a tunnel.

It's all about fun, and like The Cave this was a fun book. I commend it as a worthy read for young children. No rabbits here indeed! I don't know what the foxes were rabbiting on about....

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It was interesting to discover Rob Hodgson's style with this story. I like stories of animals in the nature and therefore, I was really interested in following the three foxes. I must say I did not really liked the end twist, I may have been waiting for more of the story or something different. Yet, the illustrations are great!

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I live a cute book where the pictures tell more of the story, and I’m a sucker for twists! This story has both of those things!

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This book is an adorable story about foxes looking for rabbits. As soon as I finished reading it to my kids they immediately asked me to read it again! They loved the illustrations and thought parts of it were very funny - definitely 5/5!

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Three foxes are on a hunt for tasty rabbits. They search high and low throughout the woods. Will the foxes find the rabbits? Hmmm….maybe something will find the foxes! The bright illustrations coupled with delightful, fun language will charm all ages. I can’t wait to read this to my grandchildren!

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This was a fun story about 3 very different foxes on the hunt for dinner...rabbits. As they hunt through the woods, it becomes clear to the reader that they are being watched by something from the shadows. Will they catch rabbits before something else catches them?

As with The Cave, I enjoyed this book and there were many opportunities to teach prediction to a class of young readers. The simple pictures encourage children to look carefully and take notice of what they can see by hunting for the little worm who features on each page.
This book would be great for teaching about adjectives, with simple accurate descriptions of setting and character, which are then portrayed in the illustrations.

I will definitely consider using this book with a class of young readers as I’m sure they’ll love the story. There is also some interesting vocabulary that could be introduced to them in the context of the story.

Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me access to an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This book is a fun romp through the forest with three foxes that think they are extremely clever. The foxes are certain they will capture rabbits in the forest, but other than this certainty, they don't have much going for them. They are sort of the three stooges of foxes. We really enjoyed the illustrations of the foxes as they go along on their quest and go through many mishaps. The book has a cute twist at the end that will leave you satisfied.

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** This review will be posted on my blog on 4th April (publication day) at 7am GMT. Links will be updated **

The Story:
Three rather silly foxes are on the hunt for rabbits in the woods. They search high and low, through carrot fields and pumpkin patches, but the rabbits keep outsmarting them. Will they ever find any rabbits? And is something hunting them?

Favourite Spread:
Rob’s illustration style from The Cave shines through again as he masterfully weaves a common focal point through the story: the “monster” that is following the foxes and which ultimately leads to yet another killer twist ending. My favourite spread is definitely the “twist” spread. But each spread will keep children engaged as they’ll love spotting the rabbits in the background who are constantly outfoxing the foxes.

I also loved how the three foxes were all different and unique. Rob uses this to great effect throughout the story and it adds impact to the ending. The foxes argue amongst themselves as they hunt which makes for some laugh out loud moments but also involves more grown-up language than was found in the cave (such as “numbskulls”).

The Verdict:
Rob Hodgson is proving to be a master of picture book “killer twist endings”. This time it is done through his clever use of illustrations. The language feels a bit more grown up than in The Cave but is still packed with humour. And look out for another doughnut reference!

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A cute read with fun illustrations. I like the quirkyness of the story, but felt as though the ending was a bit flat and could have used a little more information or addition to the story.

Overall, a nice read.

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There seems to be a pattern of children's books that are wonderfully illustrated and poorly written. This is one of those. Writing, illustrating, and publishing a book is not an inexpensive venture, but editing is not the place to cut costs. The story is cute but reads awkwardly and doesn't have to. The illustrations are rich and well-developed enough, that this book might be a more effective as a wordless book. Its easy enough for a child to figure out the story by reading the pictures.

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I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Clever humor in the writing and illustrations. Three foxes are hunting for rabbits. They search everywhere but can't find them. Readers will enjoy finding the rabbits on each page. Eventually, they discover the rabbits have been luring them to capture them.
The expressions on character faces bring the story to life.
Simple wording allows younger readers to read this on their own and also enjoy it as a read aloud.

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What a fun book! My little guy (age 4) and I really enjoyed reading it. He loves books that allow him to "know" more than the characters. He enjoyed spotting the rabbits and noting that the foxes were not very good hunters. The symmetry between the foxes and rabbits (for instance body size) was fun. I do feel like it's a book we would read a couple times but not necessarily go back to over and over like some of our faves. It is quite simplistic (and intentionally so - I think). A very enjoyable read.

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A cute story about three not-so-sly foxes that are on the hunt for rabbits. Lucky for them someone has left signs pointing them straight towards the rabbits. Great illustrations with a comical pink worm to find on every page (yes, EVERY page. As a parent I'm familiar with the trauma of not being able to find the hidden object on every page so I appreciated this. A lot). My only hesitation is that there is some name-calling with words like "stupid" and "numbskull:" but if that doesn't bother you this story is for you. Great for ages 3-7.

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