“When asked, I’m partial to my own story of course, Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog, in which I impart a good deal of wisdom to that young pup, Tango. But there are many fine books in which my fellow foxes have starring roles. Here are 15 of them I can recommend for your reading pleasure:

“If you find your favorite book about a fox to be missing from this list, please add the title in the comments. I would love to add to my To Be Read pile.”

Aesop’s Fables, such as “The Fox and the Grapes” written by Aesop Aesop wrote many fables about foxes but this one is probably the most well-known: a very cunning fox indeed but always wanting something he can’t have.

Biography of a Silver Fox written by Ernest Thompson Seton Well-known as a writer of stories about wild animals, this is one of his best, I believe. (My second favorite might be Biography of an Arctic Fox.) You can read this book online. The book was first published in 1909.

The Christmas Fox written and illustrated by Anik McGrory When invited to the Nativity, this young fox is reminded to bring a gift. He’s so busy playing in the snow and the beautiful winter surroundings, he forgets. But his playfulness is a gift in itself and a good reminder to all.

Fantastic Mr. Fox written by Roald Dahl illustrated by Quentin Blake Three mean farmers gang together to get rid of Mr. Fox, who has been “taking” things from them to keep his family hale and hearty. They think the three of them can outwit Mr. Fox but … they don’t know foxes.

Fox in Socks written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel, Dr. Seuss As the good doctor himself wrote, “This is a book you read aloud to find out just how smart your tongue is. The first time you read it, don’t go fast! This Fox is a tricky fox. He’ll try to get your tongue in trouble.”

Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night  written and illustrated by Peter Spier The fox went out on a chilly night, he prayed to the Moon to give him light, for he’d many a mile to go that night before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o … This book illustrates the familiar folk song about a wily fox who sets out on a chilly night to feed his family. Artist Peter Spier was given a Caldecott Honor for his imaginative depiction of the fox’s journey to a nearby farm and back again.

The Little Prince written and illustrated by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry When a pilot crashes in the Sahara desert, he is visited by a little prince who relates his stories of visiting planet after planet, on which only one adult lives. In this way, the Little Prince reveals the differences between childhood and adulthood. It’s a gentle tale which many believe is a modern fairy tale. In Chapter 21, the Little Prince meets a fox who teaches him a very important lesson about life.

Maybe a Fox written by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee When a young girl loses her mother, and then her sister, she sees a fox in the forest who leads her into a cave where she encounters a life-changing mystery.

One Fine Day written and illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian As this fox travels through the forest he becomes quite thirsty. Taking some sips of the farm wife’s milk, she rewards him by chopping off his tale. Using his wits, he bargains with her to get his tail back. It’s a funny story that was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1971.

Pax written by Sara Pennypacker A young boy, Peter, is separated from his pet fox, Pax, when his father purposefully leaves the fox in the woods when he takes his son to live with his grandfather so he can go off to fight in the war. The boy is distraught and runs away from his grandfather, searching for Pax. The fox realizes he must wait for Peter, whom he is quite positive will come for him. As these two struggle to be reunited, they go through a number of adventures and discoveries.

Stone Fox written by John Reynolds Gardiner Little Willy lives with his grandfather in Wyoming. When Grandfather falls ill, he is no longer able to work the farm, which is in danger of foreclosure. Little Willy is determined to win the National Dogsled Race—the prize money would save the farm and his grandfather. But he isn’t the only one who desperately wants to win. Willy and his brave dog Searchlight must face off against experienced racers, including a Native American man named Stone Fox, who has never lost a race.

Tale of Mr. Tod written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter The underhanded badger Tommy Brock kidnaps Benjamin and Flopsy Bunny’s children. He intends to eat them. He hides them in Mr. Tod’s house, where Benjamin Bunny and Peter Rabbit go to rescue them. Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod get into a fight, which gives Benjamin and Peter their opportunity to save the children. Mr. Tod is a villainous character—there are villains even among foxes.

Tomten and the Fox written and illustrated by Astrid Lindgren A fox gets hungry, especially in the winter. I know this feeling well. When Reynard the fox creeps silently from his den to the farm searching for food, it is the Tomten (similar to an elf) who keeps the farm animals safe and even manages to find something to feed a hungry fox.

What Does the Fox Say? Bård Ylvisåker, Vegard Ylvisåker, Svein Nyhus, and Christian Løchstøer Dog goes woof. Cat goes meow. Bird goes tweet. Mouse goes squeak… But what does the fox say? Based on the very popular music video, this is a fun book to read out loud.

Winter Bees written by Joyce Sidman illustrated by Rick Allen The poet and the illustrator explore how foxes and other animals stay alive during the winter, what their lives are like underneath the snow and ice. The poems are scientific and wondrous. The words Joyce Sidman uses are beautiful. Rick Allen’s linoleum prints are breathtaking—rarely has a fox been captured with such grace.

Throckmorton immediately notices that Captain Eugene’s limbs are badly stained in some places and completely worn thin in others. Throckmorton concludes, rightly so, that Teddy’s sock monkey has been well-loved for a long, long time.

Later Captain Eugene reveals that the strong bond between Teddy and him is a secret. “Master Teddy keeps me well-hidden,” he tells Throckmorton. “I think that he’s afraid that Evan or Judge Easterling will tease him if they discover that’s he’s still so fond of me.” Boy and sock monkey sleep together every night, but Captain Eugene often spends his days hanging upside down, bat-style, in the corner behind a world globe.

As the story continues, Captain Eugene is shown to possess knowledge of world geography as well as a seafarer’s heart for adventure.

Accordingly, it seemed perfectly natural that I would invite Captain Eugene to accompany me and my husband on our recent trip to Sweden and Denmark.

Captain Eugene had a wonderful time indeed:

*  Enjoying the view of the North Sea atop a cliff on Marstrand Island in Sweden.

*  Listening to a story read by the beloved Swedish children’s author Astrid Lindgren at Junibacken in Stockholm. 

*  Shopping at the Arnold Busck children’s bookstore in Copenhagen.

*  Mingling with tourists in Nyhavn, a 17^th century waterfront district in Copenhagen.

*  Tucked in the arm of Hans Christian Andersen, world-renowned writer of fairy tales.

On the day we left for Sweden, the first review of The Secrets of Eastcliff-by-the-Sea was posted online by Kirkus Reviews. Much to my surprise and delight, the review was starred.

Suddenly I was struck by the realization that my new book – like Captain Eugene – is out in the world for the first time.

For more than six years, Annaliese and Throckmorton’s story has been my well-kept secret. Once cherished, safe and hidden from view, soon critical readers would weigh in on the book’s merit, or lack thereof, in print and across all forms of social media.

With a shudder I thought back to a time shortly after Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog was published. Within hours of a school visit, a young reader posted a review on the Barnes and Noble website. “EWWWWWWWWW!!!!!” the caption read. What followed was the reader’s justification for giving Tango the lowest possible rating.

I was crushed. I swore that I’d never write another book. But, of course, I did. And along the way, I’ve developed a slightly thicker skin.

A star, I know, is fleeting. An unfavorable review of my new book may soon follow. The fear remains.

In a chapter titled “A Map of the Past,” Mr. Throckmorton S. Monkey expresses a simple truth about his existence: “Every sock monkey fears the day when his or her keeper heads off into a wide, wide, wide world far beyond a sock monkey’s imagination.”

It’s hard for me to imagine all the places that The Secrets of Eastcliff-by-the-Sea will travel or whose hands will open its cover and read its pages.

My secret is out.