#694 of 1001 · June 25, 2022

@vaesart executes a clever conceit in this adaptation of the Reynard the Fox. All appropriate plot details are present, along with all the familiar characters, including Isegrim the Wolf, Greybeard the Badger, Bruin the Bear, and Tybalt the Cat. However, the text (credited to Vaës along with collaborators Elizabeth Isele and Larry Larson, editor Katherine Buttler, and Editorial Vice President Walton Rawls) is here structured as a story within a story. In the frame narrative, a human king and queen listen to the story of Reynard and his exploits as told by a wise old hermit, who is ultimately hinted to be the cunning fox himself, disguised and retired from a life of mischief and misadventure. Vaës contributes dynamic, elegant illustrations to the proceedings. 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