WHITE FOX

A young fox undertakes an unlikely journey in this story translated from Chinese.

Dilah is a white arctic fox cub who enjoys a simple life of being doted on by his mother and father. In his free time, he often observes neighboring humans, curious but mindful of the dangers and keeping his distance. One fateful night, Dilah is shocked when his mother returns home, bloodied and dying, with news that his father was shot and killed by a hunter. She tells him about a moonstone buried in their den that will help him locate a magical treasure belonging to Ulla, their patron saint, that can transform animals into humans. As a forlorn and orphaned Dilah sets off with the moonstone, Jens, the patriarch of the arctic foxes, and his gang attempt to steal it, forcing him to leap off a cliff to escape. The straightforward narrative leads readers through all the obstacles Dilah faces along his journey, including dangers from humans and other animals. He eventually gains two companions: Ankel, a friendly weasel, and Little Bean, a big gray rabbit. Geographical clues and descriptions of humans encountered may indicate that Dilah's journey takes him from the Arctic through Northern Europe to Central Asia. The illustrations show sweetly endearing animal characters, and the cliffhanger ending will leave readers impatient for the sequel.

A fantastical animal adventure.