MOTHER FOX AND MR. COYOTE/MAMÁ ZORRA Y DON COYOTE

Villaseñor, noted author of adult works Rain of Gold and Thirteen Senses turns his hand to folktales for children with this new title. One night when Mother Fox is teaching her cubs how to hunt among the frogs near the pond, she grows so amused at their futile attempts that she becomes careless. Mr. Coyote traps her and the cubs and makes it clear that he intends to eat them all. Mother’s solution not only saves her and her children, but also explains why the moon bears the face of a fox. Ugalde Alcántara’s richly colored and stylized illustrations accentuate the size difference between fox and coyote and emphasize Mr. Coyote’s long snout. Villaseñor’s attention to Mother Fox’s delight in her children and her open awareness that she too is a carnivore make this not only a worthy addition to earlier coyote stories, but also a pointed reminder of the cycle of life in the wild. (Picture book. 4-6)