Gaspard the Fox

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As your child becomes familiar with the story they may like to join in as you read for example with the sound effects and some of the conversations. Talk about the story

Is the programme also appropriate for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)? James Mayhew lives in the Suffolk countryside, surrounded by wild animals and nature, with big skies, full of light - perfect for artists. Aside from the Gaspard the Fox series, his other titles for independent Welsh publisher Graffeg are: The Knight Who Took All Day (adapted as a work for narrator and orchestra by Bernard Hughes) and illustrations for the M ouse and Mole series (by Joyce Dunbar), animated for television with the voices of Alan Bennett and Richard Briers. A real little fox started visiting me in my London street almost every day. It was the most handsome fox I had ever seen. It even knew the sound of my bicycle and would often appear silently next to me as I folded it up. I posted photos of the fox online and it gathered thousands of followers all over the word. Friends suggested I write a story about its adventures and, one day, on a long train journey, I started writing Gaspard the Fox. Buy the book here Enhancing and enriching children’s learning through partnerships with professional arts companies, creative adults, and cultural organisations.Lucy Drever will host two live sessions online in advance of the concert! Expect fun and games, links to the resources, what to expect from the concert and some special RSNO guests. As with the first two Gaspard adventures, this story centres around a real community event – this time an open-air concert at Hyde Park. Gaspard the fox walks with her friend Finty the dog to the bus stop and when Finty’s owner drops her scarf, Gaspard instinctively catches it and hops on board to return the lost garment. Thus he ends up on the number 38 travelling through central London, admiring the sights and disembarking at Hyde Park for the climatic concert. It’s a story about friendship and being accepted for who you are. Gaspard makes two new friends: Peter the Cat, who has cultivated his own unique identity and a dog named Finty that, instead of chasing Gaspard away (as you’d expect), thinks it’s brilliant to have a fox as her friend. Not everyone thinks Foxes are welcome in the city, so there are kind and unkind humans in the book and I hope children will see how wonderful and exciting it is to share the urban environment with all living creatures. Gaspard is undoubtedly a handsome fox, in life as in the story but there is a prominent tear through one ear. Gaspard isn’t perfect and that’s an important message too.

The vocabulary is delightfully challenging. Phrases such as ‘civilise the bees’ and ‘brightly lit signs enticed tourists’, make this a joy to read aloud and ideal for enriching children’s own writing. The story really does read well. I laughed out loud when Peter, who is my favourite character (as both a cat lover and a lexophile!), fell off the sofa in surprise to see his fox pal take the stage.What is it like seeing your story illustrated with such beautiful, warm artwork by James Mayhew? What was your working relationship like? What do you think James’s illustrations add to the story? Join us for the musical version of the much-loved modern classics, narrated by the author with beautiful live illustrations.

Children’s publishing follows trends and the current one seems focused on encouraging children to be themselves, to celebrate their uniqueness, and to own their differences. This is admirable and desirable but sometimes, after the umpteenth title declaring the same message, it is a treat and a privilege to read a book that focuses on more traditional approaches to storytelling – ie actually telling a story! And this is where Zeb Soanes’ and James Mayhew’s gorgeous picture book, Gaspard the Fox, comes in. Introducing children to classical music in their formative years, nurturing their creativity and well-being. Gaspard remains a ‘he’ in the series of books, and in the first one, we follow in Gaspard as he embarks on his first adventure, meeting neighbourhood cat Peter (aka Fluffy – to his horror) and Finty, the feisty escapee dog, on her way. He discovers the delights of leftovers from a festival on the canal, and glows in the friendship offered by other local animals who, contrary to popular belief, don’t really seem to mind foxes all that much. It is easy to see why, in James Mayhew’s sensitive and delightful illustrations, which capture Gaspard’s unique personality so well. Who could not fall in love with such a beautiful fox? The endpapers provide fox facts and all the places of interest along the route. This wonderful illustration posed quite a challenge for illustrator, James Mayhew, as he painstakingly recreated each side street and landmark to accurately represent the bus route from Islington to Hyde Park. Fans of Mayhew’s hugely successful and utterly delightful Katie books (including Katie In Londonand Katie’s London Christmas) will be delighted with this new journey through the capital.Allowing children to develop skills and techniques that are relevant to specific art forms and across the four expressive arts capacities.