Another story about a new animal arriving in the forest and making everyone nervous. This time it is an eerie voice heard at night that frightens the smaller creatures. Eventually they figure out it's a coyote who has moved in from the West. The foxes quickly discover that the coyote is larger than them, and a competitor for the same prey. Granny Fox is determined to trick the coyote into leaving, even though she's afraid to face him herself. In the end the coyote proves that he's not afraid of them and smarter than anyone else. Even though he can quickly loose his temper, he also has a sense of generosity and fairness. The foxes begrudging admit that he'll stay among them. The themes through this book were about judging those you've just met, honesty (or lack of it, rather- as Granny Fox was spreading rumors) and being brave (even when you don't feel like it).

from the Dogear Diary ( )