German / Germany
Füchslein in der Kiste
(Little fox in the box)
Damm, Antje
(text/illus.)
Frankfurt am Main: Moritz Verlag, 2020. – [26] p.
ISBN 978-3-89565-399-5
Fox | Rabbit | Old age | Death | Mourning | Memories | Picture book
Reading age: 4+
White Ravens issue: 2021
The fact that Antje Damm studied architecture is quite apparent in “Füchslein in der Kiste”. In this book – just like in her previous picture books – she works with three-dimensional sets. Upon closer look at the forest she designed as a backdrop, readers will realise it is a cemetery, because there are gravestones. Naturally, the eponymous fox and his box are present, and then there are the rabbits. They regard the fox with suspicion, because they are afraid he will eat them. Yet the old fox slurps nothing but tomato soup; he can no longer chew rabbits. So both sides become friends, and the fox teaches the rabbits some fox-skills: e.g. how to stalk prey. One day, however, the last can of tomato soup is empty and the fox is so tired that he lies down to sleep – for all eternity. Antje Damm tells a touching and soothing story about a creature’s last days and makes death a little less intimidating, without trivialising it. [IG]