{Kids} Review: What Does the Fox Say by Ylvis & Svein Nyhus

Title: What Does the Fox Say
Author: Ylvis
Illustrator:  Svein Nyhus
Series: n/a
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
Publication Date: December 10, 2013
Source: from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Do you know what the fox says? Based on the hugely popular YouTube video with more than 200 million views, this picture book is packed full of foxy fun.

Dog goes woof. Cat goes meow. Bird goes tweet and mouse goes squeak…

But what does the fox say?

The lyrics of Ylvis’s YouTube sensation “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)” meet Svein Nyhus’s playful illustrations in this irresistibly entertaining read-aloud picture book.

By now, surely you've all seen the YouTube video that inspired this book.  I was only directed toward it in the last month or so, but once I showed it to my daughter, it was played on a daily basis in my house.  And the song is now stuck in my head forever as a result.

As with most YouTube sensations, it started out innocently enough.  Says Bård Ylvisåker of THE FOX: "This song is made for a TV show and is supposed to entertain a few Norwegians for three minutes — and that's all. It was done just a few days ago and we recently had a screening in our office. About 10 people watched — nobody laughed." (From the duo's website.)  So, it wasn't intentionally a children's song, but I know plenty of kids who love it, my own included.

Which is how this gorgeously illustrated book came about, I'm sure.  The text of the book is the song from the video verbatim, but the illustrations are what make this book worth it.  They're the kind that I'd frame and hang on my daughter's wall:  colorful, expressive, and whimsical.  They pair perfectly with the hilarity of the song/video.

I read this to my daughter last night, and she loved it, just as I expected she would.  Actually, first, we played the video as we read along to the song, singing along with it.  Then we went back to the beginning and read the words while we perused the illustrations.  The review copy wasn't formatted perfectly, but it actually made it easier to hold the book so that she could see as I was reading it to her.  In the hardcover format, I'm sure there will be no such issues.  I can't wait for Katie to have a finished copy and experience the beautiful illustrations up close and in person.

I already have plans to purchase the hardcover for Katie for Christmas, as well as for all the nieces and nephews.  I actually kind of want my own untarnished copy, too.  It's the perfect addition to your child's book collection, or your own, if, like me, you have an affinity for collecting pretty books or books with pretty things between the covers.

About the authors:

Ylvis is a comedy duo from Norway consisting of brothers Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker. They debuted as professional variety artists in 2000 and have since had a string of highly successful variety shows, humoristic concerts, TV shows, radio shows and music videos. They are currently the host of popular Norwegian talk show, I kveld med Ylvis ("Tonight, with Ylvis"). Their song "The Fox" went viral on YouTube in September 2013 with over 230 million views, which brought the brothers to international attention.

Find Ylvis:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

About the illustrator:

Svein Nyhus is a Norwegian illustrator and writer of children's books. Svein Nyhus was born in Tønsberg as the twin brother of caricaturist Egil Nyhus. He took his education at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry from 1981 to 1985. Svein Nyhus has illustrated his own texts as well as books by his wife, Norwegian poet Gro Dahle. His own books include Drømmemaskinen ("The Dreammachine", 1995), Pappa! ("Daddy!", 1998), Verden har ingen hjørner ("The World Has No Corners", 1999), Lille Lu og Trollmannen Bulibar ("Little Lu And Bulibar The Wizard", 2001), Ingen ("Nobody", 2002) and Jeg! ("Me!", 2004), Opp og ut ("Up And Away", 2008) and Sånt som er ("Things That Are", 2010). In 2004 he illustrated Why Kings and Queens Don't Wear Crowns, a picture book written by Princess Märtha Louise of Norway. His books have been translated into several languages.

In 2013 Svein Nyhus illustrated What Does the Fox Say?, a children's picture book based on Ylvis's YouTube hit The Fox.

Find Svein:

Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | YouTube | Pinterest