Mine!

The simplest of stories with a minimum of text, this picture book depends heavily on the remarkable illustrations, and rightly so. Fox and Horse are bored, very bored, and have been for some time. Then something interesting happens. A ball appears out of nowhere, but in the ensuing argument over whose ball it is and who is going to have first go at playing with it, neither animal sees that a bird has actually taken the ball and flown off with it. Sharing seems a good idea, but having lost the first chance to do so, they lose no time in sharing the kite that then appears on the scene. The blue Fox and red Horse are set in a landscape by turns dark and sun-bright. There are numerous trees as drawn by children – long stalks with round tops – but these are striped and rarely green. The two animals are centre stage, and while their bodies are angular and oddly shaped, their eyes are wonderfully expressive. The book has all the aspects of a fable, a slightly odd and unusual one, but funny as well. Young children will enjoy the story while understanding the point that sharing is a good thing for several reasons, one of which is that they might lose out if they argue!