Review Detail

A FOX, A PIG, AND A DIG is an early graphic novel. Fox and Pig are at the beach, and while Pig is good at napping, Fox is good at playing tricks. While Pig naps, Fox sets up his first trick where he pretends to be buried in sand. He ends up covered in sand from Pig's digging. For his second trick, he makes a little pool and hides in it while throwing his fox toy into the ocean and pretending to drown. Pig figures out the trick and jumps on top of him, leaving Fox bruised and worn out.

What I loved: This is a very easy to read and follow along graphic novel. Phrases are simple with a lot of sight words and also repeat throughout the book. The graphic novel panels are easy to follow and to tell who is speaking. The colors are great for early independent readers who will enjoy looking at the images for context clues and to see the story.

This age range (5-7) is really learning about and getting into the idea of tricks and lying, so they will understand what Fox is trying to do. As it goes awry in each case, they can see why this is not always a good choice. The brevity of the story and ease of reading with large font, plenty of space and color makes this work well for young elementary school aged readers.

What left me wanting more: The tricks were not great in my mind, and could be counter-intuitive to safety if children might copy or come up with similar ones. While they do not work out well, the messaging requires making that leap, which children in this age group do not always do.

Final verdict: A FOX, A PIG, AND A DIG is an early graphic novel that works well for budding independent readers.