Pablo Meets the Neighbours

K-Gr 2—Three fox siblings look out of their den toward a cozy house where a cat is sleeping on a windowsill. They wonder what it's like to live in a house, and the most impulsive of them, Pablo, runs to find out. All three kits go into the house to ask the cat what it's like to live with humans; two devour everything in the refrigerator and turn the house upside down while the trio's conscience, Poppy, worries about the trouble they'll get into. When the family returns, the foxes escape, the cat is blamed for the mess, and he escapes to the foxes' den. Is the grass really greener on the other side? Giffard uses the unusual technique of outlining all of the objects with a white line. This has the effect of making the details stand out crisply, giving the pictures depth and dimension. The color is rich and saturated, making the story as fun to look at as it is to read. Pablo and his sister and brother have a lot of curiosity about the world, and their interactions make this British import a charming read that is full of humor.—Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ