Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night: An Old Song

This is one of my all time favorites. The text consists of one version of an old folk song, general known as "The Fox." There are probably several dozen versions of this particular song, likely even more. I know of at least nine myself. The one used in this work is from a Burl Ives recording done in 1945. I was and am a big fan of Ives, so this book has been a real treat for me. The song originated from a poem, written in the 14th for 15th century in Middle English. I can remember versions sung of this song at various gatherings back to the late 1940s. This particular work was originally published about 1961 i.e. the Spire's version...not to be confused with one written by Wendy Watson which is a good work itself. Anyway, the text consists of the words to the old song and this is a wonderful sing-along book. The art work by Peter Spier is some of the best. It is extremely detailed, the colors are wonderfully blended and even though they are actual paintings, they give a true feeling of being there. The story consists of a fox who goes out on a chilly night and visits the hen/goose/duck house of a local farmer in or near a village. The fox does this in order to feed his family. The book is the picture and word story of his journey there and back with the meal for his family. I note that there is some disagreement here as to the location of this story. It certainly took place (the story) during the late 1800s or possibly the early 1900s. The setting is rural. If I were to give a guess, I would say it probably took place in New England, possibly Massachusetts, Connecticut or Penn. Of course you could make a pretty good argument for Virginia also, but the civil war monuments shown in the book look to me more Union than Southern. Yes indeed folks, they do grow tobacco in New England. There are several pictures of tobacco drying sheds in the book. There are also pictures of covered bridges and wonderful details of the country side, farm and village. The illustrations alternate between full color and black and white sketch type drawings. I personally find this technique quite appealing. I know the kids to which I read this book to don't seem to be bothered a bit by it. In fact, I have caught several of them trying to copy some parts of the black and white drawings. I do love the author's use of color, shades and his minute attention to detail. Now, parents do take note: The fox does indeed kill the old goose and makes off with a duck to boot. There are not graphic details of this other than the fox family finishing off the cooked bones after their wonderful meal. Some parents may feel that their child may have problems with this. To be honest, this is where parenting comes in. Each parent knows, or should know, what his kid can or cannot handle and at what age. I personally have no problems with it. The fox is acting according to his nature and yes, foxes do indeed raid hen houses.(Goodness knows I have lost enough chick

the fox went out one chilly night, he prayed to the moon to give him light, for he had many a mile to go that night, before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o! many a mile to go that night, before he reached the town-o! this is the first paragraph of the song. just thought i'd share

This book is a treasure from my childhood. I remember singing the song along with my dad and older sister. Since I was reading at age 3, I read this book by myself. I didn't find it too graphic then, nor do I now. The images didn't disturb me in the least. I love this little book, and have given it as a gift many times, always to rave reviews from the parents and children alike. It is fast-paced and the lyrics are fun to sing. The pictures are delightful, from the detailed farm scenes, right down to the Civil War monuments in the town square that the reader sees as the fox passes by with his birds. I recommend this for children of any age, and their parents. It is a treasure of a children's book.

This Caldecott Honor Book has been a favorite in my family for about 30 years and was a frequently requested story for my four boys as they were growing up. It was illustrated in 1961 by Peter Spier and is based on a Burl Ives arrangement from 1945 of an old folk tune called "The Fox." The lyrics make up the lively text. Spier's wonderful line drawings are filled with details, plenty of action and a folksy, down-home world of a bygone era from the turn of the last century. Every other page is in full color with the rest in black and white. The drawings are so chock full of details that you will enjoy the black and white ones nearly as much as the colored ones. Small town life and a rustic farm homestead come to life in these pages as the fox goes out on a chilly night to find supper for his hungry children. The pictures are informative and interesting and funny. There is so much flavor in this book that you'll want to share it with the kids again and again. There is music at the back of the book for voice, piano and guitar so that you can sing along and teach the kids to join in. All seven verses are included. I still sing this song on road trips and every one of my grown children remembers the words. It's a treasure.

When I was a little girl, my Mom would read this book to me and play her guitar along with it. It was such fun. I am now a Mom and read this to my kids. My Mom even came over and played the guitar part. The music is at the back of the book! My kids love it!