What Goodreads says
Where do they come from?
They come out of the night…
Where do they go to?
Back to the night they return…
They dance in the dark to pipe and drum and fiddle
They dance in the dark with fire and brandished flame…
No-one knows who they are…
But why do they dance?
What is the story behind this magical spectacle…
There are rumours, legends…
Don and Wen set out to investigate.
In a darkened corner of the Waggon and Horses, Langsett, a hooded and enigmatic figure whispers secrets…
My review
I purchased the hard copy of this graphic novel and I was very pleased that I did. The artwork is very visually appealing and really adds to the enjoyment of this intriguing and mysterious story.
I was not familiar with the legend of Mister Fox or the dance which tells his story until I read this book. I was intrigued by the story of the crow that hatched a devious plan to steal the sun from old man fox who cared for it. The way in which the crow tricks old man fox and his vixen daughter reminded me of other myths and legends I have read, in particular, Brer Rabbit, which was a great favourite of mine when I was a girl.
Of course, as with all good tales, the crow gets caught and punished and is doomed to spend his life trapped in time, where he is cast by old man fox and his fox troupe, and surrounded by “seven leaping tongues of flame.”
The next part of the book tells the tale of how the story of Mr Fox came to in Yorkshire and associated with certain sports and revelries which have survived over the years.
According to this book, the fox dance is still performed on the night of the Hunter’s Moon in a secretive and mysterious way. The identities of the dancers are also a secret and only known within the dance troupe.
An informative, entertaining and beautifully illustrated graphic novel.
roberta-writes.com 
Very interesting Robbie. I have not heard of the legend of Mr. Fox either.
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Neither had I, Carla. It was interesting and I enjoyed reading a graphic novel. I’ve only read a few in my life.
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I hadn’t heard of it either. It’s always nice to learn of a new legend, one more way to enrich our world.
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That is true, Liz, and this legend is fascinating.
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🙂
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I’ve never heard this particular legend. Sounds fascinating.
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I hadn’t heard of it either, Staci. This book is very interesting. Thanks for visiting.
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I love books based on legends and folklore. A great review! Thanks.
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Thank you, Darlene. Sue and Stuart’s books are very unique.
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I thought I knew this legend, at least in general terms, but I surely didn’t. Interesting story and engaging cover.
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The artwork is splendid, Jacqui. I didn’t know this legend at all.
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Thanks, Jacqui… Mister Fox is always a delight to see 😉
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Reblogged this on France & Vincent and commented:
Robbie Cheadle reviews Mister Fox: The Legend…
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Thanks for sharing, Sue.
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Very glad to share, Robbie.
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Thank you very much for such a splendid review, Robbie! The Foxes and their legend are close to our hearts… and their story deserves to be known 😉
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Sue, congratulations on the terrific review – Robbie is insightful and honest!
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Thank you, John. It was a lovely surprise 🙂
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It is a fascinating story, Sue, and telling it through a graphic novel was a stroke of genius.
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Stuart gets the credit for coming up with that idea. Making it a reality was a joint effort 😉
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Reblogged this on Stuart France.
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Crow does seem to meddle everywhere…
And it reminds me too of Brer Rabbit and also Coyote. All the Tricksters of the world. (K)
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Yes, tricksters are the bane of human society, Kerfe, and we still have them.
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Oooh, I like the sound of this. I have a strong fondness for legends and folkore.
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I recommend you read the paperback as I enjoyed the impact of the artwork in the physical book more than on my kindle.
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Great review, Robbie. I haven’t heard of this legend before.
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It was new to me too, Denise. Well, other than what I had read on Sue and Stuart’s blogs. I loved the presentation of this story as a graphic novel.
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This sounds interesting. Congrats to Sue and Stuart on a wonderful review!
I loved Brer Rabbit as a kid, as well, and still have The Tar Baby on a 45 record 🙂
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Hi Jacquie, I also still have The Tar Baby, but as a book, along with a few other Brer Rabbit stories. I am glad you enjoyed this review. I really liked this little book and its artwork.
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Wonderful review and insight into Sue’s book. No doubt it’s beautiful with images. Sue does a fantastic job with beautiful photos. I will get to this book eventually 🙂 x
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HI Debby, it is a relatively quick read as it is a graphic novel. The imagery is very powerful though. I can see of those pictures in my head as I write this.
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A beautiful tribute to Sue’s book! 🙂
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Thank you, Debby.
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Thank you for recommending and reviewing this interesting book. A great review. Reading the first lines in the reblog i mentioned an “Irish smell” of the story. Now i think i am not gone wrong with it, even there is a little bit of”difference” between Ireland and Great Britain. 😉 Michael
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You are right, Michael. The Celtic people of Ireland are very imaginative and creative. The UK is packed with interesting myths and stories and Sue and Stuart are very good at sharing them.
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🙂 The are posting great and very informative articles.
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I’ve never read a graphic novel, Robbie, and I can see why the paper copy would be preferable over ebook. The story sounds mystical and fascinating – as Sue’s writing often is. Thanks for sharing your review!
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I think graphic novels work better as paper copies, as do children’s picture books. This is an entertaining book, Diana. I really enjoyed it.
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