Mungo on His Own

Mungo on His Own

An Indie Next Pick! Written by the author of the Caldecott-winning FIREWORKS! A young fox’s adventure becomes a comforting story about independence and resilience from award-winning author Matthew Burgess and rising-star illustrator Julie Benbassat. This lush picture book supports social emotional learning while helping children process the excitement—and uncertainty—of doing things on their own. Gentle suspense keeps readers engaged while the tender resolution offers reassurance. One evening, young Mungo ventures into the forest to find the sweet, red berries he’s been dreaming about. But he soon finds that foraging alone can be hard for a kit like him, and Mungo gets lost. Very lost! Will he find the berries—and his way back home—all on his own? With suspense, daring, and foxy resolve, here is a story for children ready to celebrate exploring the unknown and the joy of returning to the cozy warmth of home. ★ "A comforting lap time or cozy winter storytime read." - Booklist (starred review) "Kids looking to go a bit feral after snack time will appreciate Mungo’s success as an argument for their own independence, and helicopter parents might take a lesson or two from mom’s free-range approach." - Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books "Youngsters will fall for this cute little fox on his exciting journey of courage and growth." - Kirkus Reviews Matthew Burgess  is a poet and educator and the author of a number of picture books, including Fireworks , Drawing on Walls: A Story of Keith Haring, and The Bear and the Moon. Matthew's books have received many accolades, including starred reviews, a Eureka Gold Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and inclusion on numerous best-of lists from the NYPL, the Chicago Public Library, the Boston Globe , the Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews , ALA  Booklist, Amazon, and others. A full-time professor at Brooklyn College, Matthew also has been a poet-in-residence in New York City public schools.  Julie Benbassat is an award-winning illustrator and painter based in Philadelphia. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2019, she has gone on to amass a range of clients in editorial, publishing, games, and animation. Her work delights in the eccentricities and wonders of the natural world, indulges in the fantastical, mixes narrative and portraiture, and highlights the bridge between the cute and the horrific.