The Animals of Farthing Wood

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They learn of a nature reserve, White Deer Park, where they will be safe, and undertake to make the journey together. As Vixen is about to be caught Adder appears and sinks his teeth into the leg of the Hunt Master's horse, causing it to rear up and allowing Vixen to escape. Vixen appears several times alongside Fox and gives her opinions on the situations the animals are facing, giving advice and showing concern for the other animals as usual. Narrated (very well) by Paul Whitehouse, a well know British comedian, this book is well worth a listen. The second and third series followed the relationships between the Farthing Wood animals, the White Deer Park animals and outsiders, particularly a blue fox named Scarface, his mate Lady Blue and cub Ranger.

I had no sooner set it down, than I was reaching for the next book in the series, In the Grip of Winter, which chronicles the animals' experiences after they reach White Deer Park. I love how Dann weaved through so many environmental issues into this adventure without it being preachy.Fox is taken down the river and into a lock, where he is seen by several humans so he jumps up onto the land and runs away from the town into the countryside.

There’s such a nice array of characters including the loyal Fox and pompous Owl plus the fatherly Badger and the greedy Mole who’s appetite can lead him into trouble, the group are lead by tour guide Toad.She's shown to be the most distraught about her son's passing, still wailing over his body even when Charmer and Ranger arrive to see what has happened. It originated with the 1979 book, The Animals of Farthing Wood, by Colin Dann, and was followed by six sequels and a prequel by Dann. As their home of Farthing Wood is being torn down by humans, the inhabitants of the forest must put aside their differences and embark on a journey to find refuge in a natural reserve several weeks of travel away.

I appreciated the way Dann did not shy away from adressing the realities of life: death, suffering, hardship and hunger; but met these topics head on, with hope intertwined. When Bold goes missing in Scarface's territory, Vixen and the other cubs accompany Fox to look for him, but Fox insists that they all stay behind when they reach Scarface and his clan. Other animals in the park are unfriendly and want to make trouble, and around the Park there are the perils of hunters' traps, as well as humans and their machines. It's a great conversation starter for kids and an interesting look into animals and how encroachment of humans can affect them.Despite her best at outwitting the hunt and even with Fox helping her out, she was almost whipped by the hunt master and saved at the last second by Adder. Vixen soon realizes that she has gone the wrong way and decides that she wants to stay with Fox for good, so she quickly heads the other way towards him. Also, even for 1979 it feels decidedly sexist, as all the females are relegated to the role of mates, have precious little talking parts, and, except for Vixen, they don't even get their own name. They all swear the "Oath of Mutual Protection," promising to look out for one another along the way, but although they do their best, some of them will not make it to their final destination at White Deer Park, while two others - Vixen and Whistler the heron - join the company along the way. He is best known for his The Animals of Farthing Wood series of books, which was subsequently made into an animated series.