- Picture Books
- Ages 4–7
- Comedy
The Woods
A wickedly funny cat-and-mouse chase in which three determined foxes hunt for rabbits, never quite noticing who is really leading whom.
- Best for4–7
- FormatPicture
- Length32 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Whimsical
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Deep in the woods live three foxes, Tiny, Tall and Round, all dead set on catching rabbits. But the hunt isn't going well. Round and Tall start to lose heart, wondering whether doughnuts and acorns might be easier prey, while Tiny Fox insists they'll capture every last rabbit if it's the last thing they do. Trouble is, someone keeps leaving helpful signs among the trees, pointing the foxes over the tallest branches, under the carrot fields and through the pumpkin patch, and still there's not a rabbit to be found. Could Tiny, Tall and Round have badly underestimated their fluffy quarry? Rob Hodgson's boldly designed, laugh-out-loud picture book is a fantastically funny chase story with a not-so-fluffy twist, perfect for reading aloud and spotting exactly who's outfoxing whom.
“Here are the woods. The woods are home to three foxes on a hunt for rabbits.”
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A read-aloud favourite from about 4 to 7, when the dramatic irony and the twist land hardest. Early readers of 5 to 7 can manage it themselves and love spotting the rabbits' scheme.
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- Best fit · 4–7
- Read aloud · 4–7
- Independent · 5–7
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Funny reads
- Read aloud
- Twist endings
- Clever animals
Avoid if
- Wants gentle bedtime
- Wants realistic fiction
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A great text for teaching inference and prediction, as children work out what the foxes have missed long before the twist arrives.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Children can see what the foxes can't, that the rabbits are running the whole show, which makes every mysterious sign in the woods hilarious. The build-up to the not-so-fluffy twist is deeply satisfying.
- Trickery and cleverness
- The underdog winning
- Breaking the rules safely
Why parents love it
Bold, graphic artwork and a genuinely clever comic structure make this a joy to read aloud, with a payoff that rewards the set-up. The kind of picture book adults enjoy performing as much as children enjoy hearing.
- Shared humour
- Beautiful illustrations
- Quick to read
About the author & illustrator
Rob Hodgson.
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