Jim Aylesworth: Books * Books * Books

When Tricky Fox bets his brother he can fool any human into giving him a pig, the fun begins. His brother tells him, "I'll eat my hat if you can." Of course that is just the challenge Tricky Fox enjoys. So pretending to be an old and feeble fox, Tricky Fox makes his way from one house to the next with a mysterious sack. Curiosity helps him make one trade better than the next. And does his brother have to eat his hat? It just depends on whether or not Tricky Fox can get a pig into his sack. A laugh-outloud tale.  Editor's Pick and Starred Review -- "Exceptionally and intricately detailed watercolor and ink drawings, in soft, muted colors, bring this fun-spirited story alive and capture the feeling of the story's setting, in a late 1800s, one-room school house. This is a terrific read-aloud story, with catchy rhythms and fun rhymes. ... Youngsters will enjoy listening to this tale many times over." -- Library TalkMarch/April, 2001.

Starred Review -- "Aylesworth and McClintock have teamed up again, this time to create the wiliest of creatures in this version of 'The Travels of a Fox.' ... The romping good humor of the story is carried by the old-fashioned illustrations in sepia tones. ... priceless." -- School Library Journal March 2001.

Starred Review -- "The clever collaborators behind The Gingerbread Man and Aunt Pitty Patty's Piggy offer another buoyant retelling in this tale within a tale. McClintock's endearingly antique pictures add to the merriment.... Cleverly paced repetition and an unexpected ending make this droll caper a winning choice" -- Publishers Weekly March 12, 2001.

Starred Review -- "McClintock's lively line gets the tale's mischief just right -- her wily Fox even winks conspiratorially at the reader. ... Aylesworth's spirited telling concludes with his great-grandmother's recipe for Tricky Fox's Eat-Your-Hat Cookies." -- Horn Book March/April 2001.

And more praise for Tricky Fox

"In the same format and style as their Gingerbread Man and Aunt Pitty Patty's Piggy (1999). Aylesworth and McClintock offer another nostalgic folktale that's perfect for read-alouds. Bored with chickens, Tricky Fox boasts that he can steal a pig. "I'll eat my hat if you do!" says his brother, and the bet is on. . . . [Illustrations in] McClintock's signature style (reminiscent of fine, nineteenth-century illustrations) inspires giggles. Aylesworth's words, in bouncy rhythms and nursery rhymes, will get kids to cheer along with the story. An infectious choice for fans of the team's previous titles." -- BooklistFebruary 1, 2001.

Made for Reading Aloud -- "A veteran educator, Aylesworth slips young would-be tricksters a friendly warning in this trippingly retold folktale . . . 'teachers are not so easy to fool as regular humans.' With Tricky Fox's gleeful jingle -- 'I'm so clever‹tee-hee-hee! / Trick, trick, tricky! Yes, siree! / Snap your fingers. Slap your knee. / Human folks ain't smart like me.' -- for a chorus, this lighthearted caper from the creators of Aunt Pitty Patty's Piggy (1999) is made for reading aloud." -- Kirkus

"Aylesworth spins the yarn in concise, rhythmic prose perfect for reading aloud. This...is a well-told and memorably illustrated story, sure to leave readers, both young and old, giggling. But it also serves as a cautionary tale for kids: Beware of the great wisdom and cunning of teachers." -- Teacher Magazine; Full Review Online.