Gaspard the Fox

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Providing opportunities for children to deepen their understanding of culture in Scotland and the wider world. The landmarks Zeb and James decided to show are not the usual tourist attractions and give a really authentic feel to the ‘real’ London such as the beloved James Smith & Sons umbrella shop in Bloomsbury and the Pyramid spire with a unicorn statue! The story provides both a visual treat and a historic journey through London’s capital. Without giving too much away, can you tell us a bit more about Gaspard the Fox and what inspired this story? Unfortunately, the programme is only open to schools. We would encourage you to share the programme with your child’s teacher/school and ask them to consider registering. He is also the creator of the Katie art books and Ella Bella Ballerina series. He has worked with many orchestras and musicians including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, painting illustrations live on stage to performances of classical music, including The Firebird, Scheherazade and Pictures at an Exhibition.

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 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?

Zeb Soanes Press Reviews

Described by the Telegraphas ‘the go-to person for music narration’,Zeb performs with the UK’s leading orchestras, narrating children’s classics such as Peter and the Wolfand technically demanding works such as Walton's Façadewhich he recorded to critical acclaim with John Wilson. I don’t like feeling I’m being preached at, so I hope the themes in the Gaspard books are almost homeopathic … just there, running throughout. CookieYes sets this cookie to record the default button state of the corresponding category and the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.

The National Schools Concert Programme is developed in line with the Curriculum for Excellence and aims to benefit pupils and teachers by: Radio 4 announcer and author Zeb Soanes based his titular fox on a real urban fox that visits him regularly at his home in London. Gaspard first appeared with an injured leg, and Zeb fed the fox until he recovered … but he had become a regular feature at this point, appearing whenever he heard him return on his bicycle in the evening. Then, one evening, Gaspard revealed that ‘he’ was actually ‘she’ when she brought her cubs to visit him!

LoveReading4Kids Says

Nobody is born into this world with racist, ageist or homophobic beliefs, we learn them, so children’s books are the perfect place to instil early messages of kindness and humanity. “

I have been a huge devotee of James Mayhew’s books for children for a while now – his Katie series and Koshka’s Tales, for example, have delighted the children I have shared them with. James’ art style is infused with warmth, love and light and during these times, when we feel rather deprived of comfort, I can think of nothing better than to immerse myself in his welcoming illustrations. There is something infinitely reassuring about his pictures – they manage to capture characters and life at its best, while retaining their unique quality. For me, he is one of the best illustrators we have nowadays. This year, the programme is going digital! Join us for Gaspard’s Foxtrot– a digital concert experience featuring the popular children’s book character, Gaspard the Fox. Narrated by author Zeb Soanes and presented by animateur Lucy Drever, the orchestral tale follows Gaspard accidentally boarding a bus to London and exploring the sights, sounds and smells of the city before trying to find his way home. The story is full of humour and warmth, but I wondered if you might be trying to say something about our treatment of animals, wildlife and nature too? What do you hope readers take from the story? Brought to life by Jonathan Dove’s wonderful composition, Gaspard’s latest adventure is the perfect introduction to classical music for primary school pupils in P3 – P6.James used a deliberately limited colour palate for his illustrations so there are lots of reds and oranges. ‘The kind man on the bicycle’ cared for Gaspard when he was poorly, so Gaspard trusts him – inspired by my first encounter with the real Gaspard who had a bad leg. I agree that his use of colour helps to suggest an emotional connection between the two characters. I was reluctant, at first, to put a representation of my relationship with the real Gaspard in the book but it forms a link, for this first story at least, between the real fox that many people followed online and the storybook Gaspard and his animal friends.