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Leila and the Blue Fox
She was very tired.
She lay down, her soft head on her soft paws.
The sunset licked her face.
The snow covered her like a blanket.
Fox wakes, and begins to walk. She crosses ice and snow, over mountains and across frozen oceans, encountering bears and birds beneath the endless daylight of an Arctic summer, navigating a world that is vast, wild and wondrous.
Meanwhile, Leila embarks on a journey of her own – finding her way to the mother who left her. On a breathtaking journey across the sea, Leila rediscovers herself and the mother she thought she’d lost, with help from a determined little fox.
Based on the true story of an Arctic fox who walked from Norway to Canada in seventy-six days, a distance of two thousand miles, this compelling, emotional and beautifully illustrated story is the perfect gift for 9+ readers.
She lay down, her soft head on her soft paws.
The sunset licked her face.
The snow covered her like a blanket.
Fox wakes, and begins to walk. She crosses ice and snow, over mountains and across frozen oceans, encountering bears and birds beneath the endless daylight of an Arctic summer, navigating a world that is vast, wild and wondrous.
Meanwhile, Leila embarks on a journey of her own – finding her way to the mother who left her. On a breathtaking journey across the sea, Leila rediscovers herself and the mother she thought she’d lost, with help from a determined little fox.
Based on the true story of an Arctic fox who walked from Norway to Canada in seventy-six days, a distance of two thousand miles, this compelling, emotional and beautifully illustrated story is the perfect gift for 9+ readers.
250 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2022
About the author
Kiran Millwood Hargrave
29 books2,307 followersKiran Millwood Hargrave is an award winning poet, playwright, and novelist.
Her books include the bestselling winner of the British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2017 The Girl of Ink & Stars, and Costa Book Awards- and Blue Peter Awards-shortlisted The Island at the End of Everything, and The Way Past Winter, Blackwell's Children's Book of the Year 2018. A Secret of Birds & Bone, her fourth middle grade title, was published in 2020. Julia and the Shark, in collaboration with her husband, artist Tom de Freston, was Indie Book of the Month, Scottish Booktrust Book of the Month, and has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2021.
Her debut YA novel The Deathless Girls was published in 2019, and was shortlisted for the YA Book Prize, and long listed for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. Her first book for adults, The Mercies, debuted as The Times number 1 bestseller, and at number 5 in the Sunday Times Bestseller Charts. Writing for the New York Times Book Review, Emily Barton called it 'among the best novels I've read in years', and it won a Betty Trask Award.
She is represented by Hellie Ogden (UK) and Kirby Kim (US) at Janklow & Nesbit. Kiran lives in Oxford with her husband and their cats, Luna and Marly.
Her books include the bestselling winner of the British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2017 The Girl of Ink & Stars, and Costa Book Awards- and Blue Peter Awards-shortlisted The Island at the End of Everything, and The Way Past Winter, Blackwell's Children's Book of the Year 2018. A Secret of Birds & Bone, her fourth middle grade title, was published in 2020. Julia and the Shark, in collaboration with her husband, artist Tom de Freston, was Indie Book of the Month, Scottish Booktrust Book of the Month, and has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2021.
Her debut YA novel The Deathless Girls was published in 2019, and was shortlisted for the YA Book Prize, and long listed for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. Her first book for adults, The Mercies, debuted as The Times number 1 bestseller, and at number 5 in the Sunday Times Bestseller Charts. Writing for the New York Times Book Review, Emily Barton called it 'among the best novels I've read in years', and it won a Betty Trask Award.
She is represented by Hellie Ogden (UK) and Kirby Kim (US) at Janklow & Nesbit. Kiran lives in Oxford with her husband and their cats, Luna and Marly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
February 13, 2023
6.29 on CAWPILE
September 1, 2022
5/5 stars
Around this time last year, I had the pleasure of reviewing Julia and the Shark; the first collaborative efford of Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston. It combined Kiran’s powerful storytelling with Tom’s beautiful monochromatic illustrations with a single accent colour to create one of the best and most memorable middle-grade novels I’ve read recently. I remember thinking; I wouldn’t mind if the would make this a “brand”. Well, my wish was answered with this spiritual sequel, about to release on October 13th.
Leila and the Blue Fox is a complete standalone story, but takes all the elements that made Julia so great, and builts upon it. Again, we have a layered tale of a young protagonist dealing with a tough personal situation at home, parallelled with a story of our natural world and one of the endangered animals within it. Again, we have stunning (equally layered) illustrations with the single accent-colour, to bring the story and atmosphere to life. And again; all these elements together add up to more than the sum of its parts, and make an impactful story about a potentially difficult topic approachable to young readers and adults alike. This time, instead of themes of mental health like in Julia’s story, Leila takes on migration; both natural- and human alike.
Like Julia’s, Leila’s story begins with a scientist mother chasing the endangered animal she studies, and a daughter chasing after the connection with her mother she feels she’s losing. Leila joins along with her mother Amani on an arctic expedition following the extraordinary migration of a polar fox across well over 2000 miles. A grueling track made out of necessity for this brave little fox to survive after its home was destroyed by climat change. On a ship on the arctic seas, Leila gets the chance to spend more time with her workaholic mother, and get to know sides of her she never saw. That includes the conversations this little fox’ journey brings up; stories of a similar one Leila and Amani undertook when Leila was only a baby. One away from a war-torn country, in search of a new and safer home…
Leila and the Blue Fox is an easy recommendation for me; if you’ve read and loved Julia and the Shark, you’ll be sure to love Leila’s story aswell. If you haven’t read Julia yet, but enjoy the same brand of hard-hitting middle-grade that transcends age-range as I do; I guess you have two beautiful books to add to your TBR instead of one.
Many thanks to Orion for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I cannot wait to get my hands on the finished product, as I can only imagine how beautiful this book is going to be visually in it's final form.
Around this time last year, I had the pleasure of reviewing Julia and the Shark; the first collaborative efford of Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston. It combined Kiran’s powerful storytelling with Tom’s beautiful monochromatic illustrations with a single accent colour to create one of the best and most memorable middle-grade novels I’ve read recently. I remember thinking; I wouldn’t mind if the would make this a “brand”. Well, my wish was answered with this spiritual sequel, about to release on October 13th.
Leila and the Blue Fox is a complete standalone story, but takes all the elements that made Julia so great, and builts upon it. Again, we have a layered tale of a young protagonist dealing with a tough personal situation at home, parallelled with a story of our natural world and one of the endangered animals within it. Again, we have stunning (equally layered) illustrations with the single accent-colour, to bring the story and atmosphere to life. And again; all these elements together add up to more than the sum of its parts, and make an impactful story about a potentially difficult topic approachable to young readers and adults alike. This time, instead of themes of mental health like in Julia’s story, Leila takes on migration; both natural- and human alike.
Like Julia’s, Leila’s story begins with a scientist mother chasing the endangered animal she studies, and a daughter chasing after the connection with her mother she feels she’s losing. Leila joins along with her mother Amani on an arctic expedition following the extraordinary migration of a polar fox across well over 2000 miles. A grueling track made out of necessity for this brave little fox to survive after its home was destroyed by climat change. On a ship on the arctic seas, Leila gets the chance to spend more time with her workaholic mother, and get to know sides of her she never saw. That includes the conversations this little fox’ journey brings up; stories of a similar one Leila and Amani undertook when Leila was only a baby. One away from a war-torn country, in search of a new and safer home…
Leila and the Blue Fox is an easy recommendation for me; if you’ve read and loved Julia and the Shark, you’ll be sure to love Leila’s story aswell. If you haven’t read Julia yet, but enjoy the same brand of hard-hitting middle-grade that transcends age-range as I do; I guess you have two beautiful books to add to your TBR instead of one.
Many thanks to Orion for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I cannot wait to get my hands on the finished product, as I can only imagine how beautiful this book is going to be visually in it's final form.
December 16, 2022
4.5 stars - Kiran Millwood Hargrave has quickly become an auto-buy author for me, so it doesn’t really surprise me that I loved this book as well. I think Kiran and her husband Tom de Freston are an absolute dream team, what with her gorgeous writing and his beautiful illustrations. The tracing paper overlays coupled with the monochromatic drawings with splashes of blue really elevated the story and added to the icy setting. (My edition also has the cutest paw prints stencilled on the edges which really passed the vibe check as well). I really liked the story parallel between Leila’s migration/flight from Syria to the UK and Miso the fox’s migration/flight from northern Norway to Canada. The portrayal of Miso as a (cute but still) wild animal was also done very well. I wasn’t a very big fan of the mother-daughter relationship in this book (especially compared to the one in Julia and the Shark which felt a lot more fleshed out). Whilst I really liked Leila’s character, I didn’t like her mom that much. Wish they would’ve communicated more and resolved things better in the end but at the same time the lack of communication/resolution felt realistic. Especially considering the trauma both Leila and her mom have had to deal with. Guess that’s the thing with Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s writing as well: no matter how frustrated it leaves you, it also seems to always make (some kind of) sense? Will definitely be keeping an eye out for any next works she publishes!
“Fox does not know to hope, but she waits for something to change, or else for nothing.”
“Fox does not know to hope, but she waits for something to change, or else for nothing.”
April 4, 2024
german and english review
netgalley ebook
spoiler free
Das ist jetzt mein zweites Buch von Kiran Millwood Hargrave, und ich bin wirklich total begeistert davon wie sie es schafft wunderbare und vielschichtige Charaktere zu schreiben und gerade komplizierte Familienbeziehungen realisistisch darzustellen.
Dazu bringt sie immer wieder wichtige Themen in ihre Geschichten, mit denen man wirklich in jedem Alter in Berührung kommt und über die einige Leute mehr nachdenken sollte.
Ich liebe diese Geschichte um Leila. Man fühlt total mit ihr während sie versucht sich durch all ihre komplizierten Gefühle zu arbeiten. Erinnerungen an dramatische Erlebnisse, die wirklich kein Kind erleben sollte aber Millionen von Kinder jedes Jahr durchmachen müssen, und dazu die Beziehung zu ihrer Mutter, die absolut nicht einfach ist.
Ich kann das Buch wirklich empfehlen, nicht nur für Kinder!!!
***
This is my second book from Kiran Millwood Hargrave, and I'm just blown away how she writes those wonderful and layered characters, and how realisitic she writes all these complicated family dynamics.
Also the important topics she brings into her stories, topics that affect people in every age range, and topics that some people really should think more about.
I love this story about Leila. You just feel for her while she has to navigate through all her complicated feelings. Memories from dramatic experiences that no child should ever have to experience but millions of children do every year, and a strained relationship with her mother.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, not just children!!!
netgalley ebook
spoiler free
Das ist jetzt mein zweites Buch von Kiran Millwood Hargrave, und ich bin wirklich total begeistert davon wie sie es schafft wunderbare und vielschichtige Charaktere zu schreiben und gerade komplizierte Familienbeziehungen realisistisch darzustellen.
Dazu bringt sie immer wieder wichtige Themen in ihre Geschichten, mit denen man wirklich in jedem Alter in Berührung kommt und über die einige Leute mehr nachdenken sollte.
Ich liebe diese Geschichte um Leila. Man fühlt total mit ihr während sie versucht sich durch all ihre komplizierten Gefühle zu arbeiten. Erinnerungen an dramatische Erlebnisse, die wirklich kein Kind erleben sollte aber Millionen von Kinder jedes Jahr durchmachen müssen, und dazu die Beziehung zu ihrer Mutter, die absolut nicht einfach ist.
Ich kann das Buch wirklich empfehlen, nicht nur für Kinder!!!
***
This is my second book from Kiran Millwood Hargrave, and I'm just blown away how she writes those wonderful and layered characters, and how realisitic she writes all these complicated family dynamics.
Also the important topics she brings into her stories, topics that affect people in every age range, and topics that some people really should think more about.
I love this story about Leila. You just feel for her while she has to navigate through all her complicated feelings. Memories from dramatic experiences that no child should ever have to experience but millions of children do every year, and a strained relationship with her mother.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, not just children!!!
January 11, 2023
Similar in strategy to Hargrave’s previous book (also illustrated by her husband Tom de Freston), Julia and the Shark, one of my favourite reads of last year – both focus on the adventures of a girl who has trouble relating to her mother, a scientific researcher obsessed with a particular species. Leila, a Syrian refugee, lives with family in London and is visiting her mother in the far north of Norway. She joins her in tracking an Arctic fox on an epic journey, and helps the expedition out with social media. Migration for survival is the obvious link. There’s a lovely teal and black colour scheme, but I found this unsubtle. It crams too much together that doesn’t fit.
January 13, 2023
Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston have done it again. I read Julia and the Shark last year which was an easy 5 star read. And same with Leila and the Blue Fox. Another beautifully told and illustrated story that explores really important themes that will tug at your heartstrings. This book in particular deals with immigration, refugees, climate change, estranged family and so much more. And I loved it
April 9, 2023
Leila heads to Norway to stay with her mum. As a scientist she's undertaking a project to track an arctic fox making her way across the ice. Leila's mum takes her on the expedition. This is a beautiful story about migration and trying to belong, about finding a home where you didn't expect to. Gorgeously illustrated too.
July 25, 2023
"The feeling in Leila‘s chest is almost overwhelming. She’d call it love but that was ridiculous. She can’t love a fox, In its own way as wild as that bear had been, this animal she’s never met. But there isn’t really another word."
Cuando compré este libro, no pensé ni a palos que lo iba a terminar disfrutando tanto. La edición es de las cosas más lindas que vi en mi vida, y las ilustraciones son de otro mundo. Realmente majestuosas. La historia en sí se me hizo mucho más oscura de lo que esperaba jajaj tipo no es un libro para niños común y corriente.
Lo pensé cuando arranqué el libro y lo pienso ahora que lo terminé: cuando tenga hijos los voy a obligar a aprender inglés solamente para que puedan entender este libro, y para que puedan apreciar lo bellas que son las ilustraciones y lo mucho que complementan a la historia <3
"But miles mean nothing to Fox. She knows only that she has come, to exactly where she’s meant to be."
4.25 de 5 estrellas.
January 19, 2023
Another great book by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.
February 24, 2024
This will be our main text for Stage 2 (9&10 year-olds) next term. The story, which includes themes around migration (refugees) and climate change, starts off a bit slow but builds to a great second half. The strained relationship between Leila and her mother should make for some interesting discussions. I think the students will enjoy the book and there could be a few tears towards the end!
December 8, 2022
Deja vú anyone?
Shall I go over the similarities between this and Julia and the shark? Ignoring the names.
1) Absentee mother obsessed with an animal
2) Travel to a far away cold country for a summer
3) Making a friend who relates to the specific struggles of the MC
4) A boat journey
5) A climax involving water and finally meeting the titular animal
The sad thing is, I did enjoy this book! I've just...read it before.
But gosh darn it was it BEAUTIFUL!!! There were see-through pages!! Oh, and my copy was signed. *smug smile until someone points out I don't even like it that much*
Shall I go over the similarities between this and Julia and the shark? Ignoring the names.
1) Absentee mother obsessed with an animal
2) Travel to a far away cold country for a summer
3) Making a friend who relates to the specific struggles of the MC
4) A boat journey
5) A climax involving water and finally meeting the titular animal
The sad thing is, I did enjoy this book! I've just...read it before.
But gosh darn it was it BEAUTIFUL!!! There were see-through pages!! Oh, and my copy was signed. *smug smile until someone points out I don't even like it that much*
November 19, 2023
“Leila and the Blue Fox” by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
🦊It is a kind, touching, heart-squeezing, and heartwarming book for young minds, animal lovers, and those who want to improve this world.
🦊The Plot: We follow a girl with a beautiful name, Leila. The upcoming summer promises to be pretty exciting and extraordinary. But Leila can’t imagine that all the adventures will go beyond her expectations. Together with her mom and the crew of other scientists, the girl sets off for an engaging, challenging, and dangerous trip. On the trip, Leila is about to meet her friend – fox, who has much in common with the girl. The fox will leave a deep trace in Leila’s deep and kind soul and become a symbol of more valuable things.
🦊The Writing Style: This is my first book by this writer, and I needed some time (pages) to get used to it. Anyway, it was curious and pretty fast to read. I enjoy getting acquainted with some Norwegian words and cute facts. I liked how the writer managed to turn true events into one beautiful fiction story. The book is pretty clever and thoughtfully written. My son and I probably needed a bit more of a “Leila – fox” storyline. Still, in general, the book is excellent, full of different morals dealing with mother-daughter relationships, migration, rescuing animals, and preserving the planet. It was a vivid, informative, and kind story that greatly impressed me and my son.
🦊The Characters: All the characters are pretty curiously portrayed. The author masterfully describes them all through a lens of the challenging events. The more dangerous were the events, the more the characters’ features and traits revealed. Even though it was a sort of new approach for me, I felt emotionally connected to them. Most importantly, my son also felt for most of them, particularly fox.
🫶🏼The fave quote: “Twitter is not real life…It doesn’t matter what people “like” or “retweet”. It’s about what they do.”
“People need stories.”
😊Would I read other books by this author: yes!
🌟My humble rating is: 5/5
🤗Undoubtedly, my son and I liked the adorable illustrations by Tom de Freston. They are absolutely mesmerizing and terrific.
🦊It is a kind, touching, heart-squeezing, and heartwarming book for young minds, animal lovers, and those who want to improve this world.
🦊The Plot: We follow a girl with a beautiful name, Leila. The upcoming summer promises to be pretty exciting and extraordinary. But Leila can’t imagine that all the adventures will go beyond her expectations. Together with her mom and the crew of other scientists, the girl sets off for an engaging, challenging, and dangerous trip. On the trip, Leila is about to meet her friend – fox, who has much in common with the girl. The fox will leave a deep trace in Leila’s deep and kind soul and become a symbol of more valuable things.
🦊The Writing Style: This is my first book by this writer, and I needed some time (pages) to get used to it. Anyway, it was curious and pretty fast to read. I enjoy getting acquainted with some Norwegian words and cute facts. I liked how the writer managed to turn true events into one beautiful fiction story. The book is pretty clever and thoughtfully written. My son and I probably needed a bit more of a “Leila – fox” storyline. Still, in general, the book is excellent, full of different morals dealing with mother-daughter relationships, migration, rescuing animals, and preserving the planet. It was a vivid, informative, and kind story that greatly impressed me and my son.
🦊The Characters: All the characters are pretty curiously portrayed. The author masterfully describes them all through a lens of the challenging events. The more dangerous were the events, the more the characters’ features and traits revealed. Even though it was a sort of new approach for me, I felt emotionally connected to them. Most importantly, my son also felt for most of them, particularly fox.
🫶🏼The fave quote: “Twitter is not real life…It doesn’t matter what people “like” or “retweet”. It’s about what they do.”
“People need stories.”
😊Would I read other books by this author: yes!
🌟My humble rating is: 5/5
🤗Undoubtedly, my son and I liked the adorable illustrations by Tom de Freston. They are absolutely mesmerizing and terrific.
August 29, 2023
*4.5 stars
It's a beautiful book, lovely illustrations, and with elements to the story that I hadn't realised were there, as they're not in the synopsis. Leila and her mother's situation and relationship is complicated and far from perfect, so as well as the story of Miso the fox and her travels across the Arctic, we have Leila's story coming to terms with what had happened to she and her family in the past, and with who her mother is and her mother's choices (as well as her own).
I've dropped half a star because towards the end it begins to feel a bit too unrealistic, and there were a few choices made by the adults (especially Leila's mother) that confused me . However, I do like the ending, where Miso ends up as well as the conclusion for Leila.
It's a beautiful book, lovely illustrations, and with elements to the story that I hadn't realised were there, as they're not in the synopsis. Leila and her mother's situation and relationship is complicated and far from perfect, so as well as the story of Miso the fox and her travels across the Arctic, we have Leila's story coming to terms with what had happened to she and her family in the past, and with who her mother is and her mother's choices (as well as her own).
I've dropped half a star because towards the end it begins to feel a bit too unrealistic, and there were a few choices made by the adults (especially Leila's mother) that confused me . However, I do like the ending, where Miso ends up as well as the conclusion for Leila.
January 1, 2023
4.5 stars using CAWPILE. Leila joins her mother on a journey with other scientists to track a Blue Fox called Miso. Leila was originally born in Damascus and had to migrate due to war to England. Similarly, Miso has traveled over 2000 miles across continents and seasons to find a home. The moral behind this was so meaningful and the writing of explaining the landscape simply beautiful. Much like Julia and the Shark it had tracing paper and the illustrations just wow. Highly recommend not just for children but adults too. Hoping to see more from this dynamic duo!
January 21, 2023
A must-read!
I was sent a gifted copy by 5getbookish in exchange for an honest review.
Leila and the blue fox was just amazing.
So pure.
This middle grade book has beautiful illustrations. The Arctic journey following Miso the fox is just wonderful. Very important themes, touches on climate change, refugees, friendships, migration, family relationships, survival & so much more.
Brilliant for all ages.
I was sent a gifted copy by 5getbookish in exchange for an honest review.
Leila and the blue fox was just amazing.
So pure.
This middle grade book has beautiful illustrations. The Arctic journey following Miso the fox is just wonderful. Very important themes, touches on climate change, refugees, friendships, migration, family relationships, survival & so much more.
Brilliant for all ages.
November 5, 2023
Another incredible book by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. I’ve savoured this book over the whole month, wanting it to last as long as possible. The illustrations are stunning and complement the text perfectly. Following Miso’s journey alongside Leila was fascinating and so symbolic as Leila went on a huge emotional journey herself. We hear snippets about her journey from Damascus fleeing the war, but it’s her journey back to her Mother that is the most heart wrenching. There were some moments where I gasped in horror and was terrified for the characters, KMH writes with such tension!
This is a book for everyone, adult or child.
This is a book for everyone, adult or child.
January 27, 2023
Fox wakes, and begins to walk. She crosses ice and snow, over mountains and across frozen oceans, encountering bears and birds beneath the endless daylight of an Arctic summer, navigating a world that is vast, wild and wondrous.
Meanwhile, Leila embarks on a journey of her own - finding her way to the mother who left her. On a breathtaking journey across the sea, Leila rediscovers herself and the mother she thought she'd lost, with help from a determined little fox.
Based on the true story of an Arctic fox who walked from Norway to Canada in seventy-six days, a distance of two thousand miles, this compelling, emotional and beautifully illustrated story is perfect for readers of any age.
This is another fabulous story from the mind of Kiran Millwood Hargrave and stunning illustrations by Tom de Freston. I loved Julia and the Shark, their first collaboration and was, very excited to learn of Leila and the Blue Fox. It didn't disappoint in any way.
Leila and the Blue Fox is compelling and powerful, it raises awareness about the plight of refugees displaced around the world and the harrowing journeys both people and animals make in order to survive. It also portrays the fragility of our planet and it’s inhabitants.
The authors writing allows the imagination to see the story, with the settings being described beautifully and the characters written so well they become likeable and real.
The recommended reading age for this is 9+ but this is such a brilliant story that adults and children will equally enjoy.
Meanwhile, Leila embarks on a journey of her own - finding her way to the mother who left her. On a breathtaking journey across the sea, Leila rediscovers herself and the mother she thought she'd lost, with help from a determined little fox.
Based on the true story of an Arctic fox who walked from Norway to Canada in seventy-six days, a distance of two thousand miles, this compelling, emotional and beautifully illustrated story is perfect for readers of any age.
This is another fabulous story from the mind of Kiran Millwood Hargrave and stunning illustrations by Tom de Freston. I loved Julia and the Shark, their first collaboration and was, very excited to learn of Leila and the Blue Fox. It didn't disappoint in any way.
Leila and the Blue Fox is compelling and powerful, it raises awareness about the plight of refugees displaced around the world and the harrowing journeys both people and animals make in order to survive. It also portrays the fragility of our planet and it’s inhabitants.
The authors writing allows the imagination to see the story, with the settings being described beautifully and the characters written so well they become likeable and real.
The recommended reading age for this is 9+ but this is such a brilliant story that adults and children will equally enjoy.
August 2, 2022
Gosh this is stunningly beautiful. A story of a girl, her relationship with her mam and a fox who travels thousands of miles. This hit me right where it hurt. This has brilliant messages about migration, how we should treat each other and about love. I think this slowly and surely gave me a hug and broke my heart a little too. Leila’s relationship with her mum was such a complex one - one built on not talking, not communicating, until they needed to. I loved Matty - he was a good egg. Miso has my entire heart. Incredibly illustrated too. I did of course shed a tear or two.
May 20, 2023
A really touching story following Syrian born Leila as she joins her mother on an expedition to track a rare blue fox. A treacherous and dangerous journey on the surface, but textured touchingly with themes such as experiencing and accepting new surroundings, mother-daughter relationships, and the hardships faced by refugees fleeing their home country for their own safety.
December 15, 2022
Absolutely adore the illustrations, it’s such a beautiful book. However, I didn’t connect or love this as much as Julia and the shark but still a lovely wintery read!
January 28, 2024
In Leila and the Blue Fox, all the ingredients click. Kiran Millwood Hargrave and illustrator Tom de Freston have created a quite beautiful book that works for all ages and looks simply gorgeous. There are plenty of books for young readers with similar titles - Girl and Animal or Boy and Animal. Stories of animal friendship are often things of wonder, things that nestle in children's hearts. But Leila and the Blue Fox isn't quite what it seems. This is a real life story of immigration, climate change, family and action. It is a book that asks what is important for young people to focus on, how to take action, how to make a difference. Leila lives in London with her aunt and cousin after leaving Damascus as a refugee. She is on her way to visit her mother in Norway who works as a researcher. Her visit coincides with a research grant that allows Leila's mother to embark on a sea exhibition to track an Artic fox, Miso, as it makes an epic migration across the changing sea ice. The dynamic is frayed and ever-shifting; Leila hasn't seen her mother in six years and is desperate for answers. Half-memories of their flight from Damascus confuse her sense of family and belonging. All the while, she finds herself drawn to the fate of this lone animal, tracking him across the wilderness and becoming the teams social media manager.
There are many things that contribute to the book's success - amazing, blue and white illustrations of the fox and its journey, a plethora of contemporary issues written in a accessible way, insets of poetic prose describing the fox's perspective that offset the plainer, narrative chapters - but the most important factor is Hargrave's simple, heartfelt prose. The dialogue is fantastic. It never feels forced, stretched or strained. She writes little moments of poignancy without it never feeling like she's playing for the cinematic moment. Every one of the characters takes shape through little details and interactions. Hargrave focuses on small details that bring the voyage and the landscape to life. Unlike many other animal books, this novel stays true to life and respects the distance needed between humankind and the wild. It is adventurous without being unrealistic. The story of a young Syrian girl's struggle to find her place is weaved in seamlessly with the story of a migrating fox trying to survive in a changing world. Hargrave even manages to sow together a few parallels between the two narratives. She also clearly addresses the role social media plays in such narratives, looking at the way information is spread and the way that people are motivated and spurred into action. The end of their adventure is tense without every crossing a boundary into the unreal. I'm all one for fantastical literature, but here I was so pleased the novel stayed grounded.
Central to all of this is the relationship between Leila and her mother. It transcends their nationality and origins and becomes a universal dialogue on growing up and responsibility. The aspects of motherhood are explored in Leila's reaction and relationship to the separation from her family in London - Hargraves wants us to see the definition of family and mother/daughter as something changeable in a positive way. At times we might feel resentful towards Leila's mother, but the novel remains uncritical and allows the characters to explore their relationship without authorial judgement. Their last conversation is very touching and shows the strain the modern world puts on traditional family relationships. The book often talks about rules and lines, about borders and regulations, about how we need to look at them differently, about how those strictures make life hard for us, takes away our sense of agency. Leila, like the reader, can leave this story feeling that there are more possibilities in life than those dictated to us, that there are moments when you can make decisions of your own, change things, make a difference. This is a brilliantly written and beautifully presented novel that can be treasured by young and old.
There are many things that contribute to the book's success - amazing, blue and white illustrations of the fox and its journey, a plethora of contemporary issues written in a accessible way, insets of poetic prose describing the fox's perspective that offset the plainer, narrative chapters - but the most important factor is Hargrave's simple, heartfelt prose. The dialogue is fantastic. It never feels forced, stretched or strained. She writes little moments of poignancy without it never feeling like she's playing for the cinematic moment. Every one of the characters takes shape through little details and interactions. Hargrave focuses on small details that bring the voyage and the landscape to life. Unlike many other animal books, this novel stays true to life and respects the distance needed between humankind and the wild. It is adventurous without being unrealistic. The story of a young Syrian girl's struggle to find her place is weaved in seamlessly with the story of a migrating fox trying to survive in a changing world. Hargrave even manages to sow together a few parallels between the two narratives. She also clearly addresses the role social media plays in such narratives, looking at the way information is spread and the way that people are motivated and spurred into action. The end of their adventure is tense without every crossing a boundary into the unreal. I'm all one for fantastical literature, but here I was so pleased the novel stayed grounded.
Central to all of this is the relationship between Leila and her mother. It transcends their nationality and origins and becomes a universal dialogue on growing up and responsibility. The aspects of motherhood are explored in Leila's reaction and relationship to the separation from her family in London - Hargraves wants us to see the definition of family and mother/daughter as something changeable in a positive way. At times we might feel resentful towards Leila's mother, but the novel remains uncritical and allows the characters to explore their relationship without authorial judgement. Their last conversation is very touching and shows the strain the modern world puts on traditional family relationships. The book often talks about rules and lines, about borders and regulations, about how we need to look at them differently, about how those strictures make life hard for us, takes away our sense of agency. Leila, like the reader, can leave this story feeling that there are more possibilities in life than those dictated to us, that there are moments when you can make decisions of your own, change things, make a difference. This is a brilliantly written and beautifully presented novel that can be treasured by young and old.
August 3, 2022
Thank you to the publishers for sending me an advanced readers copy of this book.
I really am feeling so excited to share my thoughts on this book. I loved every minute I spent in the arctic with Leila, her mum, and their friends. This book is beautifully written, and the blending of Leila reflecting back on her past, along with her current adventures with the fox is mesmerising. Also seeing certain parts of the books from the eyes of the fox works so very well, and it's executed seamlessly. The story explores serious issues such as the environment, migration, family dynamics, and mental health. Although the illustrations in this copy of the book were in black and white, I can’t wait to see them alive in blue and grey, and with the tracing paper pages added. This will also create a lot of atmosphere, as the book often uses blue/grey imagery, as this is the colour of the fox.
I can highly recommend this book to anyone who loves books about nature and our environment. It is a fantastic read, which brought a tear to my eye, and will leave me talking about it until the author and illustrator release their next wonderful book together. A massive five stars from me!
Check out my blog for a longer review:
https://insidethecover356912439.wordp...
I really am feeling so excited to share my thoughts on this book. I loved every minute I spent in the arctic with Leila, her mum, and their friends. This book is beautifully written, and the blending of Leila reflecting back on her past, along with her current adventures with the fox is mesmerising. Also seeing certain parts of the books from the eyes of the fox works so very well, and it's executed seamlessly. The story explores serious issues such as the environment, migration, family dynamics, and mental health. Although the illustrations in this copy of the book were in black and white, I can’t wait to see them alive in blue and grey, and with the tracing paper pages added. This will also create a lot of atmosphere, as the book often uses blue/grey imagery, as this is the colour of the fox.
I can highly recommend this book to anyone who loves books about nature and our environment. It is a fantastic read, which brought a tear to my eye, and will leave me talking about it until the author and illustrator release their next wonderful book together. A massive five stars from me!
Check out my blog for a longer review:
https://insidethecover356912439.wordp...
December 11, 2022
A beautifully illustrated and put together book about climate change and forced migration.
Leila has been living in London with her aunt and cousin since migrating to Englad from Syria, she is missing her mum so goes to visit her in Norway for the summer. There she finds what her mother is passionate about - a small blue fox and the story of the different migrations become entwined.
This is a very cleverly written book and we see the similarities in the stories, Leila is confused about why her mum isn't living with her, but through their new journey with the for starts to understand.
Leila has been living in London with her aunt and cousin since migrating to Englad from Syria, she is missing her mum so goes to visit her in Norway for the summer. There she finds what her mother is passionate about - a small blue fox and the story of the different migrations become entwined.
This is a very cleverly written book and we see the similarities in the stories, Leila is confused about why her mum isn't living with her, but through their new journey with the for starts to understand.
May 13, 2024
LOVED THIS ONE. Julia and the Shark was good but this was GREAT. I LOVE stories of people obsessed with wolves and this MG is the perfect taste of that!
Leila was a really well written character and I was actually very invested in the life of Miso the fox. The family relations were really strong and the family conversations were great.
I especially loved the conversation about who is considered family and where is considered home. I loved this sm and is easily one of my new favorite MG books!
Leila was a really well written character and I was actually very invested in the life of Miso the fox. The family relations were really strong and the family conversations were great.
I especially loved the conversation about who is considered family and where is considered home. I loved this sm and is easily one of my new favorite MG books!
August 8, 2023
Loved this every bit as much as Julia and the Shark. A poignant and thought-provoking story about a Syrian refugee trying to reconnect with her mother (a scientist) as they study the migration of an arctic fox travelling north because of climate change. This story manages to weave together so many big themes, truly a tale for our times.
October 18, 2022
Wonderful. As good as Julia and the Shark, and the illustrations are gorgeous.
June 2, 2023
Beautiful
September 27, 2023
"sometimes stories are mean just as much, if not more, than shelter. Or food."
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