Synopses & Reviews
One snowy night, a fox loses its way, entering a village. Chased away by the grown ups, Fox takes shelter in a greenhouse. A little boy sees this from his window. Without hesitating, he brings a basket of food to the greenhouse, where he leaves it for the fox. His gift is noticed and the night becomes a garden of new life, nourished by compassion and kindness.
Princesse Camcam's cut-paper illustrations, along with the beautiful lighting of the sets she creates, make the experience of looking at these illustrations both touching and transcendent. Their beauty and essential simplicity reflect the beauty of the story. The reader is left charmed by the fox and the child and thoughtful about the emotional lives of both humans and other creatures.
Princesse Camcam was born in Paris in 1982 as Camille Garoche. Having spent her childhood in southwest France, she left to study the graphic arts at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Cergy. She created her first illustrated book in 2006 and has been living in Germany since 2007.
Review
and#147;Have you ever read a picture book multiple times, enjoying it with each and every read, and then find later that it was wordless . . . and you didnand#8217;t even notice? Now THAT is the mark of an effective title . . . You could easily see this book adapted into a ballet or similar wordless format. Itand#8217;s a naturally beautiful tale . . . Letand#8217;s examine that word for a second. Beautiful. I donand#8217;t use it enough when Iand#8217;m describing picture books. Itand#8217;s not the kind of word you should bandy about for no reason. If I called every other book and#147;beautifuland#8221; it would diminish the importance of the word and I couldnand#8217;t use it when something as truly stunning as this. Itand#8217;s the kind of book that doesnand#8217;t feel like anything else youand#8217;ve seen or read. True and lovely and entirely unique. A book to borrow and a book to own." -- Elizabeth Bird, Fuse8, School Library Journal
and#147;Flowing lines and subtle shifts of hue add visual grace notes to this wordless tale of gifts exchanged between a boy and a fox.and#8221; -- STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
and#147;Camcam creates her images by assembling cut-paper dioramas, which are then lit and photographed. The resulting images possess a subtle dimensionality while the story exudes a haunting winter magic and a strong sense of the way a small kindness can make an enormous difference.and#8221; -- STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly
and#147;A gentle reminder that life can be a cold wasteland of cruelty or a whimsical wonderland of grace, depending on the generosity of spirit with which we approach it.and#8221; -- Brain Pickings
and#147;The Foxand#8217;s Garden has surprises throughout the story that hold the readerand#8217;s attention. This kind of detail is an ideal mentor to help draw out more style and voice from young writers.and#8221; -- Two Writing Teachers
"The gorgeous cut-paper images are infused with light and then photographed, and help to show true compassion in this story of generosity and heart. " --Sal's Fiction Addiction
"This is a powerful little book. A wordless book. A book made of cut paper that comes to life. A book that will stay with you as it did with me." --This Picture Book LIfe
Synopsis
Infused with an astonishing and affecting purity of emotion,
Fox's Garden presents generosity as the highest value of all.
About the Author
Princesse Camcam was born in Paris in 1982, but she grew up in southwest France. From there, she left to study the graphic arts at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Cergy. In 2006, she debuted as an illustrator, publishing her first book in France. Today, she continues to work as a picture book and toy company illustrator. She has been living in Germany since 2007.