Outfoxed

In this winning comedy from Twohy (Poindexter Makes a Friend), a duck escapes death by persuading a fox that he’s not a duck at all, but a dog. Framed panels with hand-lettered narration and dialogue tell the story, and Twohy’s urgent marker coloring heightens the fox’s initial nighttime heist and the duck’s efforts to save its neck. When the fox discovers that the “chicken” he’s snatched from the hen house isn’t actually a chicken, the duck stalls by trying all the dog behaviors he knows, slobbering on Fox’s coat, wagging his tail, and looking adorable. “Duck barks,” reads the next panel. “Bark! Bark! Bark! Quack, oops! Bark!” Then Fox brings in a wading pool. “I will trick Duck,” he says, one eye closed in malicious calculation. “If Duck swims, I will eat him.” Duck shuns the water and pees on the carpet. The psychic swordplay between the two adversaries segues from classic fairytale trajectory to a burgeoning story about the charms of dog ownership before ending with a zinger. Steady humor and skilled pacing make this a keeper. Ages 4–8. Agent: Elena Mechlin, Pippin Properties. (Sept.)