My Fox Begins is a children’s book about social issues written by David Blaze. Little Fox wasn’t exactly like the other fox kits in the woods. He had blue eyes and walked most naturally on two legs instead of four. When he tried to play with them, they told him he was a freak and made fun of him. That rejection confused Little Fox and made him sad. Then he heard his mama calling him from their den. He got scolded for having gone so far into the forest, and he told his parents about the other kits being mean. Little Fox didn’t understand why they said he walked like a human. What was a human anyway? His mom and dad decided that it was time for Little Fox to learn more about who he was. The next morning, his dad took Little Fox on a long trip. They stopped, finally, at a long silvery fence. Beyond it was a little box-like structure. His dad said it was a chicken coop. Little Fox started to salivate at the idea of a chicken dinner, but his world would soon be expanding in a very different way when he saw his first human. Her name was Rita, and while she was much bigger than him or his dad, she walked on two legs -- just like him.

David Blaze’s children’s fable about social issues, My Fox Begins, gives readers of the author’s My Fox series a welcome introduction to that amazing blue-eyed fox and his family, and shares the story of how he ended up meeting Jonah and becoming his best friend. I’m a big fan of the series, even if I’m not in the age-targeted audience, and I particularly enjoyed getting to meet Stinky, the blue-eyed skunk kit, Little Fox’s parents and Rita. Rita seems especially important in helping Little Fox understand that he can communicate with others, and that he is not different from everyone else. Blaze’s plot is suspenseful, and his characters are well-defined. The illustrations are brilliantly colored and work quite well with the story. My Fox Begins is most highly recommended.