“The Fox in the Dark”
by Alison Green

This story was made for early childhood music
class! There are so many sounds to explore here
that children will be focused and engaged throughout
the story – and they’ll love the surprise ending!

Rabbit is running home at night, away from a
shadowy figure – the “fox in the dark” of the title.
Every time I say “the fox in the dark” in a spooky voice,
we all go “ooooh.”

The frightened rabbit makes it home – but then 
other animal friends, including a duck, a mouse,
and a lamb – knock on the door one at a time,
each with a “rat-a-tat-tat” which we perform by
knocking on our shoes. We also imitate all of the 
animal’s sounds.

Later on, of course, who comes to the door but
the dreaded “fox in the dark.” But it’s not scary – 
it’s just a little fox looking for his mom, who
appears on the next page. The sweet story ends
with everyone curling up together to sleep with their
new fox friends.

I love this story. It’s not only filled with rhythm and
opportunities for sound and musical improvisation,
it’s also a fable about how what we’re afraid of 
often turns out to be not so scary after all – a
great lesson for young children. And did I mention
that the illustrations are adorable? Because they are!