"Fabulously Fascinating"

This past weekend we were communing with nature up in Algonquin Park.  Although we didn't see any foxes, the bears were quite bold and came for a little visit.  The Golden Glow by Benjamin Flouw got us into the camping spirit earlier this summer.  We were drawn to the book right from the cover.  The airy feel of the fox in the woods as well as the title in gold leaf is an immediate hook.

The story is pretty simple.  The fox goes off in search of a “fabulously fascinating flower".  Only found up in the mountains.  He has some help along the way from various woodland animals but what makes this story extra special is the non-fiction components found throughout.  Benjamin Flouw takes great care to give the reader real information about the woods.  He creates a list of things fox packs to head out on his adventure.  He provides pictures of the trees and close ups of the leaves fox walks beneath and he also shows us the break down of the various zones of the mountains.  The illustrations are dynamic and geometric, something not readily seen in picture books which just makes this book more and more interesting.  Not only is Fox’s story a great read aloud, but it will also inspire the reader to go looking for the different trees, help the reader pack for a summer holiday, and inspire further investigation into mountaineering.  Finally, The Golden Glow will inspire the next generation of environmentalists to go out and appreciate the natural world.