#506 of 1001 · December 19, 2021

The book of the day is Reynard the Fox, a rollicking medieval tale by Selina Hastings and Graham Percy. The animal citizens gather at court to petition the Lion King for redress of grievances. Reynard the Fox, a notorious and unrepentant scoundrel, has long engaged in murder, robbery, and all manner of deceit. Sympathetic to their complaints, the sovereign commands that the fox be brought to justice. The nimble trickster outwits Bruin the Bear and Tibert the Cat, each sent to collect him from his estate, he flatters the King himself into a royal pardon, and he even slips the grasp of Isegrim the Wolf, who challenges him to mortal combat. At the end of the whole ordeal, he knows he must finally change his ways…but temptation will always lurk in his heart. Hastings retells this traditional story with charm and great brio, while Percy’s illustrations depict the animal characters with a winning depth of emotion. A note for folklore enthusiasts: Reynard the Fox comes to us from a literary cycle of Dutch, French, English, and German fables originating in the late twelfth century. These folktales contain an allegorical dimension, with the fox himself said to represent the bourgeoisie, the lion as the monarchy, the bear as landowners, the wolf as knights, the donkey as clerics, and other small animals as the peasantry. #fox #lion #bear #cat #wolf #medieval #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks