This collection of folk tales follows Bear, Fox, and Wolf as they attempt to sow a field of wheat by clearing a space in the forest. Fox is always trying to get out of doing his share of the work, and he tricks his friends and neighbors. The Rooster at the nearby farm has a terrible premonition that the end of the world is coming, and he spreads a panic among the animals. The Hare is terrified at some strange monster creature in the woods, but no animal is brave enough to get close enough to find out what kind of creature it is. In each tale, Fox is a prominent character, always sly and clever.

I love these animal tales! Some of them have a simple moral message, like folk tales usually do, but some of them are just funny or clever.

The writing style is charming! It really captures that old-fashioned style that you see in old fairy tales or fables. I like that the writing takes the time to set up the characters and the setting and the problem they are facing, and then right when it seems that the characters are going to be in big trouble, we get a funny one-liner that finishes off the tale with style! The structure of each story is excellent, and I enjoyed it very much.

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful! I was completely in awe of this gorgeous artwork. Every little brushstroke is so delicate. You can clearly see the fur and feathers of each animal. I like the muted woodland colors of the full-color illustrations, but there are also some lovely ink sketches.

This whole book is so pretty! The hardcover edition that I have has a ribbon bookmark and pretty endpapers, and it's little details like that which make this book so special.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.