Florence & Fox by Zanni Louise and Anna Pignatoaro

Florence and Fox are the best of friends but when Fox wants to use the hammer from her tool kit, she decrees that it is not Sharing Day. Fox is perplexed. He has never heard of Sharing Day and asks if he can use it tomorrow. But he is told that tomorrow is not Sharing Day either, and the next Sharing Day could be hundreds of days away.

Fox is taken aback, but does not say anything. Later that day while playing in the sandpit, Florence asks Fox for his bucket. Fox is again unsure and he reminds Florence that she has said that this day is not a Sharing Day. She replies that sometimes things can be shared when it is not the right day to do so. Fox thinks about this, then gives her his bucket, intrigued about the odd sharing that is going on.

He then asks her for her spade, but is again reminded that this is not a Sharing Day. Later when Fox sits down to dinner a knock at the door reveals Florence with her bag of tools. She gives them to Fox, telling him that today is actually a Thank You Day.

Both parties are then reconciled with sharing going on despite the name of the day, giving children the opportunity to talk about sharing along with thanking someone for sharing.

Each character will delight younger readers as they watch their interaction, modelling the interaction they have with their friends, and allowing them to ask questions about what sharing is all about.

The delightful illustrations, produced with pencil and coloured pencil, watercolour and college will intrigue readers as they take in the detail offered each page. The endpapers with their flowers and grasses make a neat rounding off for the book.

Themes: Sharing, Reciprocation, Thankfulness, Cooperation.

Fran Knight