Flossie & the Fox

McKissack, P. (1986). Flossie & the Fox. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Brief Annotation: Big Mama sends Flossie to the neighbors’ to deliver eggs, but warns her to keep an eye out for the fox that has been troubling the area. But Flossie’s never seen a fox, so how will she know what to do if she meets one? When Flossie meets the fox on the road, she uses her confidence and quick wits to trick the fox into letting her pass.

Genre: Picturebook; Folklore

Grade Level: K-3

Readers who will like this: children who enjoy stories with talking animals, children who relish humorous texts, children who appreciate “trickster” tales, children whose interest is sparked by stories with strong female characters.

Response/Rating (1-4): **** The southern setting of this book comes alive through McKissack’s stylistic dialogue and Rachel Isadora’s rich illustrations. Flossie’s spunk and cleverness make me laugh each time I read this book. Children will enjoy listening to this humorous trickster tale as it is read aloud.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: “Have you ever tried to trick someone?”

Reading Strategies Connection: Character Map (Yopp & Yopp, pp. 66 – 69). A character map allows students to understand the characters and their relationships with each other. The map includes boxes for each character being examined with descriptive words written within, as well as arrows going between the boxes that help students visualize the relationships between characters. For Flossie & the Fox, teachers should create a character map as a whole group after reading the first few pages, including descriptors of Flossie and the fox as well as their attitudes towards one another, and then repeat the exercise at the book’s conclusion. This will encourage students to think about the ways that the relationship between the characters developed and changed during the story.