A Walk in the Wild Woods

To go for a walk in the woods where foxes hunt rabbits is a scary thought for little Ruby, whose favourite toy is a rabbit. But she agrees to go there with Dad, taking precious Rabby tucked in her backpack. Ruby expresses her fears about the fox as they catch sight of him chasing rabbits. Dad does a brilliant job reassuring Ruby and in turn she reassures Rabby that he is safe with her. Meanwhile the illustrations tell us quite a different story. We see Rabby fall out of the backpack, later to encounter Foxy. Whilst Ruby learns many facts about foxes, about their acute hearing and eyesight, their need to hunt to feed their young, she is quite unaware that Rabby has gone. When Ruby and Dad arrive home together in the twilight, who should they find on the doorstep but Rabby! Now, how did that happen? The well-paced illustrations, often glowing with the warmth of the countryside, tell us the sequence of events between Foxy and Rabby, finishing with this surprising ending. A comforting story about how important it is to help small children confront their fears.