Mr. Fox's Game of "No!"

Starred review from June 1, 2024
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* Mr. Fox engages kids in his new game by stating its cardinal rule: "Every time I ask a question, you have to say "NO." Those who accidentally say "YES" must return to the beginning and start again. Simple, right? "Are you ready to play?" Oops! If you said "YES," start again. Mr. Fox tempts and bamboozles players, asking if they would like a Hawaiian beach vacation that includes surfing, roasting marshmallows, swimming with baby dolphins, and for the first 20 guests, "a MILLION BILLION dollars." LaRochelle and Wohnoutka, the brilliantly witty writer and illustrator whose book See the Cat: Three Stories about a Dog (2020) won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, take kids on a vicarious adventure of sneaky questions designed to trip up and amuse listeners in equal measure. From the cover portrait of Mr. Fox sporting a carnival barker's top hat, cane, and easy smile, to his final bow, the illustrations capture his role as an able trickster and his ideas for beguiling his audience. After all, every question in the book prepares kids to answer the last one correctly. And here it is: "Have you ever read a funnier, better written, more beautifully illustrated book than this one?" A clever, hilarious picture book!

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July 1, 2024
LaRochelle delightfully upends expectations in this tribute to the power of no. Dressed in carnival-barker attire, insouciant Mr. Fox flourishes a vaudeville hook and invites readers to "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!" and to "step right up for a battle of wits." Clever Mr. Fox proposes a "nearly impossible" game: saying no to every question he asks. Inadvertent yea-sayers must return to page one and reread. Innocuous questions such as, "Are you ready to play?" are traps. And when readers are presented with an enormous ice cream sundae, the question, "Would you like a taste?" truly becomes diabolical. An offer of a Hawaiian vacation beach party (with a guaranteed "million billion" dollars for the first 20 guests) is also tough to decline. Accompanied by Wohnoutka's chuckle-worthy cartoon images, the questions turn a bit more personal: "Are you stronger than a baby?" "Are you wearing any underwear?" In a laugh-out-loud marvel of excess and pacing, Mr. Fox challenges readers to put up with a tongue licking from slobbery, smelly Stinkpot the water buffalo. And the very last no-brainer question is a neatly engineered bit of puffery: "Have you ever read a funnier, better written, more beautifully illustrated book than this one?" But there's no penalty for rereading this hilarious, irresistible book--perhaps readers will out-manipulate Mr. Fox after all! You can bet on this sideshow for an interactive good time. (Picture book. 3-6)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2024
Beware cartoon foxes luring unsuspecting readers into a challenge: "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Step right up for a battle of wits." The tricky fox in this interactive picture book looks harmless in his plaid pants, purple tuxedo jacket, and top hat. He waves a cane around as he introduces readers to the rules of his game: "Every time I ask a question, you have to say 'NO!' If you accidentally say 'YES,' then you have to go all the way back to the beginning of the book and start over." The game requires concentration. Some questions are sneaky ("Are you ready to play?"). Others require ignoring desire, as when a giant sundae is delivered -- want some? To get to the end of the book, readers will have to lie, exaggerate, feign ignorance, and let themselves in for some gross situations (such as being slobbered on by a smelly water buffalo). The exaggerated illustrations play up the humor throughout, and the fox and other characters gaze meaningfully at readers to amplify the interactive connection. Finishing the book by winning the game may require several restarts, but every accidental "YES" will compound the silliness of the experience. The final question is a desperate play for a compliment: "Have you ever read a funnier, better written, more beautifully illustrated book than this one?" While only one answer will win this battle of wits, any answer might require re-reading it yet again from the beginning. Julie Roach

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2024
eware cartoon foxes luring unsuspecting readers into a challenge: "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Step right up for a battle of wits." The tricky fox in this interactive picture book looks harmless in his plaid pants, purple tuxedo jacket, and top hat. He waves a cane around as he introduces readers to the rules of his game: "Every time I ask a question, you have to say 'NO!' If you accidentally say 'YES,' then you have to go all the way back to the beginning of the book and start over." The game requires concentration. Some questions are sneaky ("Are you ready to play?"). Others require ignoring desire, as when a giant sundae is delivered -- want some? To get to the end of the book, readers will have to lie, exaggerate, feign ignorance, and let themselves in for some gross situations (such as being slobbered on by a smelly water buffalo). The exaggerated illustrations play up the humor throughout, and the fox and other characters gaze meaningfully at readers to amplify the interactive connection. Finishing the book by winning the game may require several restarts, but every accidental "YES" will compound the silliness of the experience. The final question is a desperate play for a compliment: "Have you ever read a funnier, better written, more beautifully illustrated book than this one?" While only one answer will win this battle of wits, any answer might require re-reading it yet again from the beginning.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)