When Zelda and Ivy's parents serve them cucumber sandwiches for lunch, these sibling buddies take appropriate action: They run away from home. Not far away, though; they retreat to the backyard, taking the proper amenities. This great act of self-empowerment is only the beginning of the Fox girl's magnificent adventures.
Publishers Weekly
Outraged that their father has made cucumber sandwiches again, the siblings first introduced in Zelda and Ivy (in a starred review, PW wrote, "Rare for a book about siblings, its sympathies reach out to readers regardless of their birth order"), pack their bags in Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways by Laura McGee Kvasnosky. Always in synch with her audience, the author does not let the sisters stray far (they peek at their parents through the hedge) in the title story; the other two involve creating a time capsule and magic potion. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3-Another appealing offering featuring the spirited fox sisters. In the first chapter, Zelda and Ivy run away from home when cucumber sandwiches appear on the lunch menu. They take a blanket and their favorite toys to their backyard, where they can keep an eye on their parents, who don't seem to miss them at all. When they finally go back inside, they discover that their father has saved them the very sandwiches that they were trying to avoid. In the second episode, the siblings are making a time capsule to be opened in one hundred years. Zelda drops in her lucky jewel, while Ivy adds her cherished doll. It doesn't take long, however, for the sisters to realize that they can't part with their favorite possessions. The third chapter finds Ivy making a secret potion and Zelda struggling to write a haiku. Then their friend Eugene comes up with a clever way to use Ivy's concoction to ease Zelda's writing pains. Bright, expressive cartoon illustrations complement the fine writing in this beginning reader.-Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
In three new episodes, the Fox sisters discover that not even running out to hide in the yard will save them from yet another lunch of cucumber sandwiches, that it's not a good idea to put something you'll miss into a time capsule and that a sprinkle of "creative juices" made from a secret formula can dispel the most stubborn case of writer's block. As in previous appearances, the sisters, their parents and Ivy's friend Eugene (the one who suggests the "creative juice") are depicted as long-nosed foxes, furred in various bright orangey tones but placed in human settings. Unlike previous outings, these wry tales are presented in easy-reader format, and they'll make tasty fare for newer readers. (Easy reader. 5-7)
From the Publisher
Another appealing offering. . . . Bright, expressive cartoon illustrations complement the fine writing.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
Three satisfying stories of two sisters create one rewarding read.
—The Horn Book (starred review)
Jaunty gouache art takes them through three predicaments. . . . It’s all delightfully droll.
—San Francisco Chronicle
Children will recognize the details and the sibling dynamics. . . . Kids will look forward to more from the Fox sisters.
—Booklist
JULY 2008 - AudioFile
Running away always sounds like a better idea than it actual is, as Zelda and Ivy find out one day when they revolt against cucumber sandwiches. This story of their friendship and adventure is solid—a realistic day in the life of two 6-year-olds. Jenny Selig reads with a slow, steady pace—just right for early readers to follow along if they have the book. She provides enough distinction in the voices to differentiate the gruffer, tougher Zelda from the softer, whinier Ivy. What Selig lacks in emotion (there's not much to go on) she makes up for with her clear enunciation, which adds even more to the new reader’s learning experience. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
