Not a Fox by Arthur Strangekin is an interesting children’s book that will appeal to both the old and young. A fox longing for a sumptuous dinner of chickens mapped out a plan to get them for free. Its idea was to create disguises to rip off the farmer. First, it disguised itself as a scientist who needed a chicken for an experiment, which the farmer believed. He gave the fox a chicken that went into the cooking pot. Unsatisfied, he went for another chicken, this time disguised as a police officer who wanted to interview the chickens. On and on, the fox was disguised as a business owner, con artist, magician, and the list goes on. He was a master of disguise, but will he get off scot-free? Will the farmer ever follow his instincts?

Chickens always come home to roost; a hard truth that Not a Fox by Arthur Strangekin brought to light! This novel was fun to read and laced with humor, but it contained great lessons that everyone should heed. Most times, we are carried away by appearances, taking people at face value while failing to look for substance. We end up duped and ask where we went wrong. This was the case of the farmer because to him appearances were enough, even though his gut said otherwise. However, no misdeed goes unpunished, and evil-doers end up a victim of their games–-another lesson to learn. Arthur wrote a clear and concise book with eye-friendly pictures and an educative yet fun storyline. I loved the concept of a villain fox. Overall, it’s a beautiful book and I loved it!

“The fox changes his fur but not his habits.” Not a Fox is a fun children’s picture book by Arthur Strangekin. Fox is hungry and wants something to eat. He devises a chicken-flavored master plan called The Eggs-periment, Plan A, and goes to a farm dressed as a scientist. Fox politely asks the farmer to lend him a chicken to conduct an experiment. The farmer doubts he’s a scientist but after some convincing, Fox gets a chicken named Minnie to put in his pot. But one chicken won’t do so Fox devises Plan B: Fowl Play. This time, he dresses as a police officer and tells the farmer that he’s received a report of a fox pretending to be a scientist and needs to question the chickens. The farmer still suspects something is afoul with Fox’s disguise. Clever, quick thinking Fox gives the farmer an excuse and gets to take home Maggie. He begins to wonder if two chickens will be enough and creates another plan!

“There’s more to Fox than meets the eye.” Fox is clever at devising plans in his attempts to get a chicken or two for his meal. I admire his determination to never give up. His disguises and antics are hilarious and I got a few good laughs from every page I turned. The colorful illustrations showing Fox up to his tricks are amazing. Arthur Strangekin’s writing style is lively and humorous. Not a Fox is an educational, entertaining children’s picture book that will bring a lot of laughter to anyone reading it.