There are many classic stories involving foxes, enough to make a storytime! Here are some ideas I found on the PUBYAC listserv, with some of my own ideas added:
Edwards, Pamela Duncan. FOUR FAMISHED FOXES AND FOSDYKE. Combining a great lesson on the letter “F” with a funny story, this is a new take on the “fox in the hen house” story.
Williams, Sue. DINNERTIME! One by one, six little rabbits escape a fox.
Hindley, Judy. DO LIKE A DUCK DOES. Mother duck tricks the fox into imitating a duck.
Aylesworth, Jim. GINGERBREAD MAN. The classic story of the cookie who thought he could out-fox a fox, kids will chant along with the famous phrase.
Fox, Mem. HATTIE AND THE FOX. Kids will repeat the exclamations made by each animal in this cumulative story. Available in a Big Book edition.
Waring, Richard. HUNGRY HEN. A hungry fox patiently waits for a hen to plump up, until the hen is bigger than the fox!
Janovitz, Marilyn. LITTLE FOX. Little Fox breaks the family’s favorite chair; the one where Mom reads stories to him.
Ehlert, Lois. MOON ROPE. With text in Spanish and English, this Peruvian folktale involves a mole and a fox trying to climp a rope up to the moon.
Kasza, Keiko. MY LUCKY DAY. A fox thinks it is his lucky day when a pig visits, until the pig tricks him into making him a meal, giving him a massage, etc.
Hogrogian, Nonny. ONE FINE DAY. Based on an Armenian folktale, this cumulative story shows a fox trading for various items, so he can reclaim his tail.
Church, Caroline. ONE SMART GOOSE. A smart goose bathes in the mud so the fox cannot see his white feathers in the moonlight.
Ward, Helen. ROOSTER AND THE FOX. Adapted from “The Canterbury Tales,” a proud rooster is tricked by a sly fox.
Hutchins, Pat. ROSIE’S WALK. A very short text involves Rosie the chicken being followed by a fox.
Westwood, Jennifer. GOING TO SQUINTIM’S: A FOXY FOLK TALE. Based on the English folktale, this repetitive, humorous story involves a fox “trading” up from a bee to a boy that the fox hopes to eat.
Galdone, Paul. WHAT’S IN FOX’S SACK? The same folktale as “Going to Squintim’s” aimed at slightly younger readers.
Crafts:
If you’re looking for a unique craft, make fox tails. Cut out on tagboard and punch a hole in the upper end. Let the kids color. Then thread yarn through & tie the tails on the kids. Use this with ONE FINE DAY.
Songs:
“A Hunting We Will Go” (a-hunting we will go, a-hunting we will go, we’ll catch a fox/and put him in a box/ and then we’ll let him go)
“Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night”
Fingerplays:
FOXES IN THEIR DEN (count off using fingers) 1,2,3,4,5 in a row, The foxes in their den, sitting right beside them, are 6,7,8,9,10.
TEN LITTLE FOXES One little, two little, three little foxes, Four little, five little, six little foxes, Seven little, eight little, nine little foxes, Ten little foxes in their den.
FOX HAS GOT A LONG RED TAIL Fox has got a long red tail, Shake that tail, shake that tail! Fox has got a long red tail, Shake that tail now! Fox has got a pointy nose, Wiggle that nose, wiggle that nose! [Etc., Fox has two front paws, two pointy ears, two bright eyes, long pointy teeth etc.]
Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library