School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Fox and Chick are back in another endearing tale of friendship and adventure. Chick is the dynamo of the pair, quick to show emotion and blessed with a vivid imagination and sense of whimsy. Fox, on the other hand, is the anchor of the pair and serves as the voice of reason and logic. Despite their differences (or perhaps because of them), the two seem to find fun wherever they go. In the first chapter, Fox's quiet boat ride is transformed into an epic adventure by Chick's imagined sea monsters, pirates, and shipwrecks. Fox is patient throughout and is generally bemused by his friend's antics. The remaining chapters cover the angst that a chocolate cake initially causes, and the book ends with an amusing tale about the pair trying to catch a sunrise. The lovely illustrations are done in pen, ink, and watercolor with muted tones and Ruzzier is a master at capturing a wide-range of facial expressions. Told in comic-book panel format and divided into three chapters, this is a gentle read, full of subtle humor and curiosity. VERDICT A perfect choice for those who have graduated from new reader materials but aren't quite ready for lengthier chapter books. Highly recommend for purchase.-Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, MI © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Ruzzier presents three more brief adventures, in hybrid picture-book/early-chapter-book/comic form, about friends Fox and Chick (The Party and Other Stories, rev. 3/18). The first chapter begins with Fox attempting to embark, solo, on a quiet boat ride. When Chick asks to join, Fox agreesI guess it doesnt have to be quietand indeed Chicks speech-bubble patter hardly lets up. Chocolate Cake finds Chick at home (in a birdhouse, natch), stressing over a wrapped box that someone delivered. Chicks conundrum is philosophicalwhat if theres chocolate cake inside? What if there isnt chocolate cake inside? Fox helps Chick see the bigger picture. In the final story, Fox is eager to watch the sunrise, but Chicks foot-dragging leads to disappointment, temporarily. Ruzziers pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations, in pastel hues, are easy to follow from panel to panel and spread to spread, with tantalizingly off-kilter details (why does Chicks house lean so precipitously? and is that an outhouse beside it?) and fanciful supporting characters (those funny-looking sea monsters and butterfly-ish creatures). The protagonists seem to have mellowed somewhat from the previous book, with fewer examples of sniping and more of sharing. elissa Gershowitz July/Aug p.136(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Fox and Chick return in this follow-up to The Party: And Other Stories (2018).Echoing the poignant if occasionally antagonistic friendships of such odd couples as Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad and Tad Hills' Duck and Goose, Ruzzier has again accomplished the task of telling three funny, meaningful stories using markedly simple vocabulary that occurs almost entirely as dialogue between the two characters in speech bubbles. The temperamental differences between even-tempered, organized Fox and anxiety-prone, excitable Chick play out in both word and image. Appealing, whimsical pen-and-ink illustrations are softly washed with color and are featured throughout in panel layouts of various sizes, some stretching to fill the page, in the style of a scaled-down graphic novel. When, in the final tale, Chick spoils Fox's plans to catch the sunrise by holding up their departure in puzzling out what supplies will be needed ("Should I take my hammer?" asks Chick), Fox's expression is a marvel of bewilderment, and readers may fear Chick has pushed it too far. In the end, though, the pair enjoy whiling the day away together and catch the sunset instead, bringing the gentle message of learning to live with, and even appreciate, one another's quirks full circle. A fine addition to the series, this can be enjoyed without having read the earlier installment and will be appreciated by new readers. (Early reader. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
The endearing duo from Fox & Chick: The Party (2018) returns here in three brief adventures. In the title story, Fox's relaxing boat ride is disrupted by Chick's constant questions and fears. ""Chocolate Cake"" finds Chick afraid to open his cake from Fox because he knows eating it all will make him sick. And, in ""Sunrise,"" the pair misses the event because Chick can't get his act together. Combining graphic-novel and easy-reader formats, Ruzzier provides emerging readers with satisfying, well-defined characters; relatable experiences; and solutions that never scapegoat. Chick's insecurities are at the crux of most of the conflicts, but Fox always finds a way to accept his behaviors and engineer fixes that are agreeable to both. The illustrations, rendered through pen, ink, and watercolor, favor pastel shades well suited to the exterior calm projected in these narratives. Humorous illustrative details (snarling pirates imagined by Chick, and Chick kissing the ground after his ""stressful"" boat ride) add depth to the tales as well. Simple yet sophisticated, this makes an ideal choice for beginning readers.--Kay Weisman Copyright 2019 Booklist
