This book does not have a good ending. It simply ends. There is no resolution. We do not know if Magpie can be forgiven because she abandoned Dog. This book is highly unsatisfying.

I came into this expecting a nice picture book with a sweet story about a fox. I had no idea what I was getting into.

First of all, I would not read this to a child. It seems more suited for something that would be studied in a high-school or university-level course. The mixed media art is raw and frightening. I particularly liked what Karen said in an earlier review:

"The end product is a fantastically dark story that no child should have read to it unless you are conducting sleep-deprivation experiments. it is written in serial-killer scrawl, with the words all over the page at wonky angles, the drawings are hectic and scratchy and terrifying and of course i give it five stars because i absolutely loved it."

Magpie is long gone and committed to Fox's mercy long before she makes her decision. The line "She can feel herself burning into nothingness. It would be so easy just to die here in the desert" is filled with regret and hopelessness, and juxtaposed with the burning red-orange of the illustration, is the picture of panic and loss.

This book was fascinating and thought-provoking and will undoubtedly give me nightmares. I loved it.

Beautiful & imaginative picture book.

WAT

Tons of visual analysis potential - symbolism.
Darkness thematically.

This is one of those picture books that might have a bigger impact on adults or traumatized a child. Definitely will lead to questions. Why aren't we ever happy with what we have? What about loyalty and friendship? And the ending?! Well, you get to figure that out yourself -- does magpie make it back to dog?

One thing is for sure -- always trust your gut.

I think it was a very interesting book. I think this is because the illustrations really captured the mood and feeling of the story. Even without the pictures, I think the suspenseful adventures of Fox, Dog, and Magpie is a story that needs to be heard.

pretty brilliant.

The book begins with a magpie between the jaws of a dog, but it turns out the dog does not eat her. Instead, Dog helps Magpie see that life is worth living even without the wing she has lost in a forest fire (Dog has only one eye). Dog is kind to Fox, but Magpie is uncomfortable with Fox around. Over the course of several days, during which the reader wonders whether Fox will eat Magpie while Dog is gone, Fox succeeds in seducing Magpie, and they disappear into the forest. Fox "flies" across the burned land into the middle of a scorching desolate desert. What happens at the end is even worse than what the reader most likely expects.

Most children will need someone to help process what is going on in this book. The unusual, jarring handwritten text at different orientations makes this a difficult read-aloud in addition to looking like deranged scrawl. Is it a threat? Warning? Story of hope? It is definitely NOT a bedtime story for little children. More appropriate for ages 9+