Book Reviews

Foxlight, by Katya Balen

A tale of strong emotional bonds exploring concepts of family, identity and belonging.

Siblings Fen and Rey have been brought up in foster care after being found in the woods as babies, seemingly protected by foxes. Times are sometimes tough, and though their home is a happy one, warmed with love and laughter, a void dwells in them both. They know nothing of their past and long to find their mother. Fen and Rey reside in a liminal space, neither fully connected to their past or present, a feeling enabled by this constant need to know where they came from. To make peace with their sense of loss and abandonment they tell each other elaborate stories, adventures of their mother, rationalizing why they were left and why she remains outside their lives.

As questions increasingly fracture their stories, Fen begins to see moments of orange, a fox perhaps, which the children sense as a messenger from their mother. Fen and Rey eventually follow the shape, risking all, in the hope it will lead them to her and to the many answers they seek. Their plight takes them on a cryptic and often dangerous journey marked by doubts, disappointments, and fragments of hope.

Katya Balen has written a beautiful, always moving, often heartbreaking story of hope, love, and acceptance. Her lyrical writing style imbues depth, sensitivity and wonder into the narrative, creating a remarkable, emotional, and immersive reading experience. Highly recommended for readers aged 9+. Katya Balen’s book October, October won the 2022 Yoto Carnegie Medal.

Foxlight can be found in the Children’s area in the Animals – Fiction collection.

Clever Crow by Chris Butterworth Illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill

An exquisite book on a most intriguing family of birds.

From the brief blurb I read about ‘Clever Crow’, I sensed the book held all the promise of being a fascinating addition to the library’s Children’s collection. And I was not disappointed.

Short snippets provide curious, and perhaps little-known, facts about crows. Among other wonders, we learn of their intelligence, aerobatics (or lack of), habitat, playfulness, and song, or again, lack of as they tend to ‘caw’ rather than sing. We are left in no doubt that they are astonishing creatures. These wonderful insights are all set within the stunning mixed-media artwork of Olivia Lomenech Gill, who also illustrated J. K. Rowling’s ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’. Together the text and illustrations celebrate the crow, illuminating the subject beyond what either could do alone. This is an exquisite book on a most intriguing family of birds that will captivate young and old.

This book can be found in the Children’s area in the Picture Book collection.

Kay

Content Development Librarian: Children’s and Young Adult