Fox and the Mystery Letter
by Alex G Griffiths; illus. by the author
Primary    Frances Lincoln    40 pp.
9/25    9781836001102    $18.99

A fox seemingly likes his solitary life in a remote cabin located in a dense forest. One day, however, a knock on the door disrupts his daily routine: it’s a gigantic bird, who delivers a mysterious letter. The brief note, from an “Old Friend,” tempts Fox to embark on an intricate scavenger hunt. Griffiths chronicles the journey that ensues, with Fox receiving new clues that have him climbing a towering tree, boarding a ferry to an island, and following the North Star. All the while, suppressed memories about an estranged pal begin to surface. With this compelling puzzle plot, readers are kept in suspense through every surprising twist. Scratchy pen, ink, and digital illustrations evoke both the coziness and the loneliness of Fox’s existence—the fire in Fox’s cabin looks warm, but the photos of friends on the wall hint at a more fulfilling past. Employing a mix of double-page spreads and comic-style panels, Griffiths immerses readers in the natural world that surrounds the main character, and the animals, including a dapper frog and a grumpy mole, who assist Fox on his trek are amusingly rendered. An emotionally resonant flashback-driven conclusion reveals how a silly argument led to Fox’s solitary state, and the tale ends happily with two old friends reconciling under the stars.

From the September/October 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.