Tuula Pere's The Fox's City follows the story of a young fox named Francis. Born the middle child in a litter of seven kits, Francis was a fiercely competitive youngster, always vying for more food, attention, clothes, toys, etc. With his cunning, Francis used to be the de facto leader of his little playgroup of animals. But now, he has bigger ambitions. Francis moves to the big city and applies for a job in the mayor's office. The mayor, William the Wolf, agrees to make Francis the substitute mayor while he is on vacation on an island. Soon, Francis begins to make strict rules and regulations and locks up the carrier pigeons in the attic. With a friendly soccer match on the horizon, Francis' shenanigans force the librarian Erasmus to call the mayor back. Will Francis learn his lesson?

Absolute power corrupts, and this message is wonderfully woven into The Fox's City. Tuula Pere is a master of her craft and delivers yet another absorbing short story with illustrations by Andrea Alemanno. Francis is a compelling antagonist. We see his rise from the very beginning when he was just a youngster and follow his journey as he acquires the highest levels of power in a city. However, he lets power go to his head, and soon enough, the age-old adage "pride comes before a fall" comes true. For young readers, this is an entertaining cautionary tale about the drawbacks of untamed ambition. I found the story funny and poignant, and overall, this was a joy to read. I highly recommend it to children and young adults alike.

The Fox’s City by Tuula Pere follows the journey of Francis as he moves to the city and devises a scheme for victory and success, no matter what he needs to do to achieve this. Francis has dreamed big ever since he was young. When the day comes to leave home, he heads for the big city where he goes to work for the mayor. However, when he was young Francis learned an unfortunate lesson: he knew how to be sly and use this to get what he wanted. When the mayor takes a vacation, Francis seizes the opportunity to be the substitute mayor for the weekend. This claim to power goes to his head. With an upcoming soccer match, Francis sees the chance to get everything he’s ever wanted, even if it ruins the game for everyone. Soon his actions begin to make residents nervous and they start to work together to fix the problems Francis is causing. On top of that, there’s a greater mystery surrounding the library with something amiss in the attic and carrier pigeons vanishing.

The story follows Francis’ journey from youth to adulthood as you see his downfall which is attributed to his greed, slyness, and bad behavior. While these aren’t great qualities, they teach children a valuable lesson about being greedy and how to treat others. Tuula Pere draws a clear line between this behavior to how he acts as an adult when he reaches the city and tries to take over in the mayor’s absence. This is a great way to show children of all ages how their actions impact other people and how harmful greed can be for everyone. Countering Francis’s behavior is that of Erasmus who is his opposite and is the one that puts together all the threads such as noticing missing pigeons. The lesson is straightforward and will not be difficult for children to understand. The illustrations by Andrea Alemanno pair well with the story, with soft hues and playfulness that create the illusion of movement. The Fox’s City is a unique story that teaches youngsters a valuable lesson through the actions of a mischievous fox and the residents who work to stop his actions.

In The Fox's City by Tuula Pere, Francis the Fox has some big ideas, wanting nothing more than to leave his tiny village for the big city. One day, he sets off, boots shining in the sun, and goes to meet William the Wolf, the aging city mayor. Francis talks the mayor into letting him take over while William goes on a trip, but his greed gets the better of him, and he starts to change the way things work, much to the dismay of the residents. Something strange is going on; the carrier pigeons have all disappeared and everyone knows Francis is behind it. When it's time for a big football match, Francis can't help but interfere, thinking things should be done his way, but this could spell disaster for the city and its football team. Can Francis be stopped, or has his power grown too big? What will William do to save his city?

The Fox's City by Tuula Pere is a fun adventure story for children but it also has many important lessons that kids should learn early. The illustrations by Andrea Alemanno are incredibly professional and help tell the story of this wily character with big ideas about himself. This story touches on topics such as bullying and teaches children that it doesn't matter how good you think you are, it means nothing if you don't earn the respect of those around you. Going in like a bull in a china shop and walking roughshod over those around you is not the way to behave, and it gets you nowhere fast. Tuula Pere has written another great educational story for young readers, and while it is highly enjoyable, there are lessons for all children to learn. It is recommended for parents and schools everywhere to read to kids.