Books

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Information   Description   Fun Stuff   Merchandise   Teacher Resources   Cover Illustrations   Spanish, Norwegian Cover Illustrations

Information

• First editions:
  • Alfred Knopf, 1970, USA.
    • Illustrated by Donald Chaffin
    • Value (circa 1989) in Fine condition
      • $15-$19 (no dustjacket)
  • Allen & Unwin, 1970, UK.
    • Value (circa 1989) in Fine condition
      • $12-$15 (no dustjacket)
• Movie:
  • "Fantastic Mr. Fox"
• Play:
  • "Fantastic Mr. Fox"
• Audio Book:
  • 3 Favourite Stories read by Roald Dahl
  • Fantastic Mr. Fox read by John Baddeley
  • Fantastic Mr. Fox read by Lionel Jeffries
  • The Roald Dahl Collection read by Roald Dahl
  • The Roald Dahl Soundbook read by Roald Dahl

Description

In the tradition of The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, this is a "garden tale" of farmer versus vermin, or vice versa. The farmers in this case are a vaguely criminal team of three stooges: "Boggis and Bunce and Bean / One fat, one short, one lean. / These horrible crooks / So different in looks / Were nonetheless equally mean." Whatever their prowess as poultry farmers, within these pages their sole objective is the extermination of our hero – the noble, the clever, the Fantastic Mr. Fox. Our loyalties are defined from the start; after all, how could you cheer for a man named Bunce who eats his doughnuts stuffed with mashed goose livers? As one might expect, the farmers in this story come out smelling like ... well, what farmers occasionally do smell like.

This early Roald Dahl adventure is great for reading aloud to three– to seven–year–olds, who will be delighted to hear that Mr. Fox keeps his family one step ahead of the obsessed farmers. When they try to dig him out, he digs faster; when they lay siege to his den, he tunnels to where the farmers least expect him – their own larders! In the end, Mr. Fox not only survives, but also helps the whole community of burrowing creatures live happily ever after. With his usual flourish, Dahl evokes a magical animal world that, as children, we always knew existed, had we only known where or how to look for it.

Fun Stuff

• Book-A-Minute Bedtime Story

Merchandise

• Robertson's Jam Badge
• Fantastic Mr Fox Game
• Mr Fox Figurine
• Fantastic Mr Fox Stuffed Toy

Teacher Resources

• Fantastic Mr. Fox
  • Classroom Ideas
    • Mostly language and reading type activities
  • Comprehensive Unit Plan
    • Includes various social studies, math, writing, and creative activities
  • Reading Quiz
    • Online reading quiz with questions from the book
  • Online Games
    • Online matching, concentration, and flash card games with concepts from the book
  • Unit Plan
    • Comprehensive unit plan for studying Fantastic Mr. Fox, including lesson plans, vocabulary words, worksheets, and more!

Cover Illustrations

Click on any thumbnail to see the full–size version...

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Spanish Cover Illustration – "El Superzorro"

Alfaguara, 1995
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Norwegian Cover Illustration – "Den Fantastike Mikkel Rev"