THE SORRY TALE OF FOX AND BEAR

Fox and Bear were true friends.
They were close-as-can-be friends, through-and-through friends … except for one thing.

Fox was quick and slick and sly, and Bear was dumber than a pile of rocks.
That’s how it was. And it didn’t matter.

But then Fox stretched the string of friendship until it snapped

and they weren’t friends any more.

The Sorry Tale of Fox and Bear tells the story of an unequal friendship between a fox and a bear. Fox is ‘quick and slick and sly’ and Bear is, by his own admission, ‘dumber than a pile of rocks’.

The narrative focuses on the events that lead to the crumbling of the relationship, which is steadily undermined by power games and practical jokes. Written in the form of a letter from Bear to Fox, the text is Bear’s chronicle of steadily worsening tricks, in which he reminds Fox of their former bond and of the destructive actions that severed it.

Between his recollections and reproaches are short accounts of how Rooster and Hare strive to be Bear’s new friend now that Fox is no longer around. But if Bear is not impressed by Fox’s insensitive deeds, he is even less impressed by the grandstanding, posturing and slanderous approaches of Rooster and Hare.

How Bear deals with the situation is beyond everyone's expectations, including his own.

$29.99 (hbk) / $19.99 (pbk)
72 PAGES
270 x 210 mm
ISBN 978-0-6480238-0-7 (hbk) / 978-0-6480238-2-1 (pbk)
Available through Dennis Jones Associates  
Also available at the Dirt Lane Press shop CLICK HERE! or email us at info@dirtlanepress.com

Study Guide

To download the official study guide for The Sorry Tale of Fox and Bear click Here

The Author

Margrete Lamond

MARGRETE LAMOND is a consummate storyteller with a deep understanding of folk tales and of how to retell traditional and classic narratives with a fresh, contemporary twist. Her books include Tatterhood and Other Feisty Folktales, illustrated by Peter Sheehan; The Nutcracker, illustrated by Ritva Voutila; Frankenstein, illustrated by Drahos Zac; and the Once Upon A Timeless Tale series, a collection of retold folk and fairy tales, illustrated by a variety of leading artists.

Margrete is also the publisher of award-winning picture-book imprint Little Hare Books.She is a passionate advocate for powerful quality artwork in books for younger readers, a researcher in the overlap between neuroscience and aesthetic reception, and a curator who specialises in showcasing the best of international illustrative art.

THE ILLUSTRATOR

Heather Vallance

HEATHER VALLANCE's work is informed by animal and human figures in their many forms, and their relationships to their environments. She says, ‘I believe the environments we inhabit physically, socially and emotionally manifest in who we are.’ The Sorry Tale of Fox and Bear is Heather’s first venture into narrative illustration.

Heather’s work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including the prestigious Kedumba Drawing Award, and hangs in both private and public collections. She has taught art in remote communities, and in regional schools and galleries, and currently teaches drawing, painting and printmaking at tertiary level.