Fox Fiction – Jordan Taylor

READ. FOX. BOOKS.

Welcome to the Fox Library

Here are all the fox books you could ever desire—and hundreds more besides! Curl up in your earth, grab a fresh mouse, and read with the most comprehensive listing of books about all aspects of foxes, from vulpine behavior to board books.

Title links take you to books on Amazon.com

Below are four basic categories for the fox bibliography, with subcategories under each.

NONFICTION

FICTION (below)

Novels

Fantasy and Shifters

Myth, Fairytale, and Folklore

Anthropomorphic/Furry

Shorts and Poetry

Graphic Novels

JUVENILE

FOX FILMS

fiction

Novels

General Novels

Note: It can be hard to draw the line between adult and juvenile fiction in some animal books, particularly in older novels. You’ll find additional novels listed under middle grade/young adult.

The Ballad of the Belstone Fox AKA The Belstone Fox AKA Free Spirit by David Rook

The Biography of a Silver-Fox by Ernest Thompson Seton

The Biography of an Arctic Fox by Ernest Thompson Seton

The Black Fox of Beckham by David L. Heaney

A Black Fox Running by Brian Carter

Charlie the Fox by Major John Budden (1932)

Chill Valley Hunt (trilogy) by Christine Pullein-Thompson (not about fox)

Crazy Fox Ranch by Deborah Garner (not about fox)

Death of a Vulpicide by J.K. Stanford (1960)

English Animals by Laura Kaye (not about fox)

Every Man’s Hand by David Harcombe (1992)

The Familiars by Stacey Halls (not about fox)

The Fox and The Hound by Daniel P. Mannix (1967)

The Fox at Drummers’ Darkness by Joyce Stranger

Fox Evil by Minette Walters (not about fox)

The Fox of Richmond Park by Kate Dreyer

Fox Me: The Story of a Cub by J.K. Stanford (1958)

The Foxes by R.P. Harriss (1937)

Fur Sign by Hal G. Evarts (not about fox)

The Gone Away: A Romance of the Dales in Three Acts by Dorothy Una Ratcliffe (1930) (not about fox)

Greymuzzle by Alec Bloomfield (James Charles Reynard)

Happiness by Aminatta Forna (not about fox)

The Hill Fox by Ernest Lewis (Ernest Blakeman Vesey) (1937)

The Hill Vixen by A. Henry. Higginson (1945)

The Hounds of Heaven by R. W. F. Poole (not about fox)

Hunter’s Moon AKA The Foxes of Firstdark by Garry Kilworth (1989)

The Huntsman at the Gate by Almet Jenks (1952)

King Todd: The True Story of a Wild Badger by Norah Burke, D.J. Watkins-Pitchford (illustrator)

The Life of a Fox: Written by Himself by Thomas Smith (1843)

The Life Story of a Fox (Animal Autobiography series) by J.C. Tregarthen (1906)

Lure of the Chase (The Chase Chronicles) by Michael Sinclair-Smith (not about fox)

Master Reynard: The History of a Fox by Jane Fielding

Margery Allingham’s Mr Campion’s Fox by Mike Ripley (not about fox)

Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man (George Sherston trilogy) by Siegfried Sassoon (not about fox)

Midwinter by Fiona Melrose (not about fox)

Old One-Toe by Michel-Aime Baudouy

Old Red: the Story of a Devon Fox by Trevor Beer

“Sister” Jane series by Rita Mae Brown

The Plague Dogs by Richard Adams

A Portion for Foxes by Jane McIlvaine McClary (not about fox)

Red Ben: The Fox of Oak Ridge by Joseph Wharton Lippincott (1919)

Red Fox by Charles G.D. Roberts (1905)

Red Ruff: The Life Story of a Fox by H. Mortimer Batten (1937)

Red Vagabond: The Story of a Fox by G.D. Adams, D.J. Watkins-Pitchford (ill) (1951)

Rhymeside by Henry Tegner (1964)

The Running Foxes by Joyce Stranger

Russet, the Rover: The Life Story of a Fox by Anne Richardson

Scotty, the Adventures of a Highland Fox by Frances Pitt (1932)

The Secret of Hunter’s Keep by Joyce Stranger

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (not about fox)

Spirit of the Fox by Ellie Willingham

String Lug the Fox by David Stephen (1950)

Vix: The Story of a Fox Cub by A. Windsor Richards, D.J. Watkins-Pitchford (ill) (1960)

Vixen by Rosie Garland (not about fox)

Vulpes: An English Fox by Harper Cory (1940)

White-Ear and Peter: the Story of a Fox and a Fox-Terrier by Neils Heiberg (1912)

The White Fox of Withersrush Moor by Sean Frain

The White Foxes of Gorfenletch by Henry Tegner (1954)

Wild Lone: The Story of a Pytchley Fox by B.B. (D.J. Watkins-Pitchford) (1938)

Fantastic Foxes

Fantasy Novels

Children of the Gates by Andre Norton

Court of Foxes by Christianna Brand (foxes might only be symbolic)

The Demon and the Fox (The Calatians series) by Tim Susman, Laura Garabedian

The Fox by Arlene Radasky (not about fox)

The Fox’s Tale by Amanda Gannon

Foxspell by Gillian Rubinstein (not about a fox)

Foxtails by Erica Laurie

Franky Furbo by William Wharton

The Hunt for Elsewhere by Beatrice Vine

Kitsune: A Little Mermaid Retelling (Tales of Akatsuki series) by Nicolette Andrews

Lady into Fox by David Garnett (novella)

The Magicians by Lev Grossman (not about fox)

Penric’s Fox by Lois McMaster Bujold

The Return: Nightfall (The Vampire Diaries) by L.J. Smith (possibly foxes in this series)

The Ronin and the Fox by Cornelia Grey

Scion of the Fox (The Realms of Ancient) by S.M. Beiko

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa (not about a fox)

The Singing Tree AKA The White Fox by Brian Parvin

A Taste for Rabbit by Linda Zuckerman

Through a Brazen Mirror by Delia Sherman (1986) (fox as familiar)

The Tower and the Fox (The Calatians series) by Tim Susman, Laura Garabedian

When Fox is a Thousand by Larissa Lai (2004)

A Whisper of Wings (Kashran Cycle) by Paul Kidd

The Wild’s Call (Aspect of Crow) by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shifters

Black Pearl Dreaming (Portland Hafu) by K. Bird Lincoln

Change (Kitsune) by Melissa Stevens

Den of the White Fox by Lensey Namioka

Dream Eater (Portland Hafu) by K. Bird Lincoln

The Fox Wife’s Tail by Conrad Kinch

The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson (1999)

Fur Fox’s Sake (Shifters Undercover) by Milly Taiden

Generation V by M.L. Brennan

The Girl with Ghost Eyes by M.H. Boroson

Her Secret Agent (X-Ops) by Paige Tyler

Hexmaker by Jordan L. Hawk

In the Night Garden (The Orphan’s Tales) by Catherynne M. Valente

Like a Fox by Celia Kyle

Mages in Manhattan: A Tokyo Supernatural Novel by Phil Gabriel

The Nine (Foxfire Burning) by C.M. Stunich

Nogitsune by Clovia Shaw (no longer available?)

Reckless (Mirrorworld) by Cornelia Funke

The Sacred Book of the Werewolf by Victor Pelevin

Satyrday by Steven Bauer

Spirit Fox by Mickey Zucker Reichert, Jennifer Wingert

Stone Cold Fox (Cougarville) by Evangeline Anderson

Fantasy Series

A. Dee Carey FOX FANTASY BOOKS:

The 11th Commandment, The Crimson Vixen, The Fox and the Chalice, The Fox and the Dragon, The Fox and the Swan, Fox in the Mist, The Fox of Heart Isle, Mark of the Fox, The Vixen

Additionally, this author has many shorts and anthologies.

FOX SHIFTER SERIES:

American Kitsune series by Brandon Varnell

The Chaos of Foxes series by Emma Dean (3 books)

Foxes of the Midnight Sun series by K.R. Alexander (3 books)

Kitsune Trilogy by Anna Frost (3 books) (no longer available?)

Kobolds of Tamlen series by Gen Summercolt (5 novellas) (no longer available?)

The Madison Wolves series by Robin Roseau

Other series by Karen Kincy (3 books)

Red Winter Trilogy by Annette Marie (3 books)

Mythic and Anthropomorphic

Anthropomorphic/Furry

The Cunning Little Vixen by Rudolf Těsnohlídek (1920)

Foxhunt! by Rich Hanes (2014)

Jack Fox, Licensed Detective by Ingemar Fjell (1968)

The Rise of the Red Shadow (The Book of Deacon) by Joseph R. Lallo (2013)

Shadow of the Father by Kyell Gold (2010)

Species: Foxes by Thurston Howl (editor)

Volle by Kyell Gold

Series:

The Fall of Eldvar series by Jim Galford

The Guild of the Cowry Catchers series by Abigail Hilton

Out of Position series by Kyell Gold

Polar and Vulpie Saga trilogy by Eric M Deal

The Resonance Tetralogy by Hugo Jackson

Also see Reynard the Fox stories below, anthropomorphic folktales, and middle grade novels on the Juvenile Fox Books page like the Redwall series by Brian Jacques and Wonderling by Mira Bartok.

Myth, Fairytale, and Folklore

There are easily hundreds of fox myths and stories from creation legends to Reynard the vicious medieval antihero. You’ll also find dozens of foxy folktales in children’s picture books.

In Greek myth, the Teumessian fox, or Cadmean vixen, is a giant fox destined to never be caught. Many Eastern fables or myths feature characters like Kuzunoha and Tamamo-no-Mae. The fox is one of those rare creatures and symbols known across the globe—and, indeed, may be the most universal wild animal emblom of folklore, from Canada to Africa to Japan, of all time.

Scroll down for notes on Reynard, Aesop, and other fox tales.

A Book of Fairy Tale Foxes by Clifton Johnson

The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore by Michael Dylan Foster

Censored by Confucius: Ghost Stories by Yuan Mei, Kam Louie, Louise Edwards

Come and Sleep: The Folklore of the Japanese Fox by Christopher Kincaid

Crow and Fox and Other Animal Legends by Jan Thornhill (1993)

The Dancing Fox: Arctic Folktales by John Bierhorst

The Discourse on Fox and Ghosts by Leo Tak-Hung Chan (1998)

Drakestail by Jan Wahl (from a French fairytale)

A Field Guide to Demons, Vampires, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits by Carol K. Mack, Dinah Mack (2011)

Fireside Stories of Ireland by Patrick Kennedy

Folk Tales and Fables of the World by Barbara Hayes (1987)

The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship by Karen A. Smyers (1998)

Fox Fables by Dawn Casey (in multiple languages)

Fox Mykyta / Lys Mykyta by Bohdan Melnyk, Ivan Franko

Fox Tales by M. J. Wheeler, Dana Gustafson

The Genie and the Fisherman: And Other Tales from the Travelling People by Duncan and Linda Williamson (1991)

Ghosts and the Japanese: Cultural Experience in Japanese Death Legends by Michiko Iwasaka, Barre Toelken

Hesitant Wolf and Scrupulous Fox: Fables Selected from World Literature by Karen Kennerly

Human Animals by Frank Hamel

The Kingfisher Book of Classic Animal Stories by Sally Grindley (2008)

Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition by Kyoko Motomuchi Nakamura

Native American Short Stories by Jim Red Fox

Native American Short Stories: Book II by Jim Red Fox

Russian Fairy Tales by Aleksandr Afanas’ev

Shared Spirits: Wildlife and Native Americans by Dennis L. Olson

The Shepherd’s Nosegay: Stories from Finland and Czechoslovakia by Parker Fillmore

Someplace to Be Flying by Charles de Lint

Supernatural and Mysterious Japan: Spirits, Hauntings and Paranormal Phenomena by Catrien Ross

Tales of Times Now Past: Sixty-Two Stories from a Medieval Japanese Collection by Marian Ury

Tortoise Tales by Ruth Manning-Sanders (1974)

A Tundra Tale by Lone Alaskan Gypsy

Ukrainian Folk Tales by Irina Zheleznova

Wildlife Folklore by Laura C. Martin (1994)

Wisdom Warrior: Native American Animal Legends by Dennis L. Olson

The Yanagita Kunio Guide to the Japanese Folk Tale by Fanny Mayer

Zoo of the Gods: Animals in Myth, Legend, and Fable by Anthony S. Mercatante (1974)

Reynard and Aesop

REYNARD THE FOX

Reynard is an anthropomorphic red fox born of medieval allegorical fables. The earliest author was Pierre de St. Cloud, writing Roman de Renart in 1174. Other French writers followed with additional tales, then German Heinrich der Glïchezäre in 1180. The rest is foxy history, for no vulpes character has ever been so widely written and retold to stand such a test of time as Reynard. Also called Renard, Reinaert, Renart, Reineke, Reinicke, and Renartus.

Reynard is primarily a rather frightful antihero, if not pure villain, guilty of enumerable (very human) crimes and summoned by a court of the other animals including the king (a lion) and his oft-victimized cousin (a wolf). He nevertheless finds favor with readers through endless cunning, tricks, resourcefulness, and getting the better of also undesirable elements.

As well as dozens of modern books, from full-length translations to children’s picture books of his exploits, the Reynard stories have been adapted into numiouers films. Ever wonder why Disney’s animated Robin Hood (1973) features the title character as a fox? The original design concept of the film was meant to be a Reynard adaptation. During pre-production the studio pulled the plug on the project on the grounds of the negative influence of the wicket Reynard. Instead, years later, the concept was reinvented for a Robin Hood interpretation.

Reynard stories have been so widely used throughout history you can find his exploits retold from Jan-Frans Willems, father of the Flemish movement, to Nazi propaganda by Robert van Genechten. Of all the maligned foxes of the world, Reynard also comes out on top here.

Some contemporary Reynard books:

The History of Reynard the Fox by F.S. Ellis

The Most Delectable History of Reynard the Fox by Joseph Jacobs

The Rare Romance of Reynard the Fox by Samuel Phillips Day

Renard the Fox by Patricia Terry

Renard the Fox by Rachel Anderson, David Bradby, Bob Dewar (1987) (appears to be a children’s book but is not)

Reynard the Fox by Alain Vaes (picture book)

Reynard the Fox by Anne Louise Avery (2020)

Reynard the Fox by Selina Hastings, Graham Percy (picture book)

Reynard the Fox and Other Fables by William T. Larned

Reynard the Fox: A New Translation by James Simpson (2015)

Reynard the Fox: Tales from the life of Reynard the Fox by Renate Raecke, Jonas Laustroer (2020) (picture book)

The Romance of Reynard the Fox by D.D.R. Owen

The Scandalous Adventures of Reynard the Fox by Harry J. Owens (1945)

The Story of Reynard by Maurice Genevoix (1959)

The Story of Reynard the Fox by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Aesop’s Fables

Aesop is thought to be a slave living in Ancient Greece around 600 BCE. These fables were passed on in the oral tradition for hundreds of years before ever being written down, so it’s impossible to say exactly how much original Aesop remains. Today, they continue to be popular in many cultures, while the fox remains one of the primary protagonists in the fables.

Aesop’s fox fables:

The Ape and the Fox
The Crab and the Fox
The Cock, the Dog and the Fox
The Deer Without a Heart
The Eagle and the Fox
The Fox and the Crane
The Fox and the Crow
The Fox and the Grapes
The Fox and the Lion
The Fox and the Mask
The Fox and the Sick Lion
The Fox and the Stork
The Fox and the Weasel
The Fox and the Woodman
The Fox in the Well
The Fox, the Flies and the Hedgehog
The Frog and the Fox
The Lion, the Bear and the Fox
The Lion, the Wolf and the Fox

Book examples:

Aesop’s Fables by Ann McGovern (1963)

Aesop’s Fables by Arthur Rackham

Aesop’s Fables by Charles Santore (Most beautifully illustrated of all the Aesop books!)

Aesop’s Fables (Oxford World’s Classics) by Laura Gibbs

Aesop’s Fox by Aki Sogabe

The Classic Treasury of Aesop’s Fables by Don Daily

The Fables of Aesop by Edward J. Detmold

Foxy Fables by Tony Ross (1986)

Illustrated Stories From Aesop by Susanna Davidson

Three Aesop Fox Fables by Paul Galdone (1971)

You’ll also find dozens of these fables told one by one as children’s picture books on the kids’ fox books page.

Other Fables

Some other fox fables in book form include works of Jean de La Fontaine, the Brothers Grimm, and Joel Chandler Harris (Uncle Remus).

The Fox and the Cat is a great example of an ancient fox fable (sometimes incorrectly attributed to Aesop) that has stood the test of time, shadows of which can be seen from Eastern European folktales to the Panchatantra (Indian) to The Adventures of Pinocchio (Italian) to modern children’s stories.

The Fox and the Wolf and other Russian folktales and fables have also stood the test of time, with many such stories, usually about the fox tricking innocent humans and other animals into giving her food or leaving her in peace, as needs may be. (Although she often ends of vanquished, such as being eaten by a hound, by the end.) Interestingly, Russian and Ukrainian styled fables are some of the few in which the fox is frequently female. A sly, wicked female taking advantage of otherwise strong males like man, bear, and wolf who succumb to her deceptions. Check out the Fox Movies page for more on the animated films that have come out of these stories

The Brothers Grimm (Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm and Wilhelm Carl Grimm) complied and wrote dozens of European folktales in the 1800s. Many featured foxes, including: The Golden Bird, The Sea-Hare, The Wedding of Mrs. Fox, and The Wonderful Musician. A few book examples:

The Bremen Town Musicians and Other Animal Tales from Grimm by Doris Orgel (adaptor), Bert Kitchen (illustrator)

Grimm’s Fairy Stories by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm (first published in 1812 in English)

Mrs. Fox’s Wedding by Sara Corrin and Stephen Corrin (adapters)

Br’er Fox and Br’er Rabbit are integral characters in Joel Chandler Harris’s collections of black American folktales merged into the works of Uncle Remus. A few book examples include:

The Adventures of Brer Rabbit and Friends by Joel Chandler Harris, Eric Copeland (illustrator)

Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (the original publication, 1881)

Uncle Remus: The Complete Tales by Julius Lester (adapter), Jerry Pinkney (illustrator)

Other Foxy Fiction

Shorts and Poetry

Who knows how many fox shorts, poems, or even songs and ballads, have been published? From ancients to The Fox, the Wolf and the Husbandman poem by 15th-century Scottish poet Robert Henryson, to modern times. There’s even a fox opera based on Rudolf Těsnohlídek’s Cunning Little Vixen.

A Fox’s Tale by Lauren K.

A Portion for Foxes by Brook West

The Chase by William Somervile (1735)

Collected Nature Stories by Henry Williamson (1970)

The Dingle Ridge Fox and Other Stories by Sam Savitt (1978)

The Fabulous Fox: An Anthology of Fact and Fiction by Johanna Johnston (1979)

Forest Friends by Roya Dixon (1916)

Foster Fox (A 10,000 Lakes Tale) by William D. Writer

Fox 8 by George Saunders

Fox in the Hen House by Mary E. Lowd (no longer available?)

The Fox Meditates by Rudyard Kipling

The Fox’s Prophecy by D.W. Nash, Poole, R.W.F. (poem, 1871)