Stone Fox
| Stone Fox | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | John Reynolds Gardiner |
| Illustrator | Marcia Sewall |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Children's novels |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Publication date | 1980 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 83 pp |
| ISBN | 0-06-440132-4 |
| OCLC Number | 9333615 |
| LC Classification | MICS 2006/42188 (P) |
Stone Fox is a short children's novel by John Reynolds Gardiner. It is the first and best known of Gardiner's books. Stone Fox was acclaimed and very popular when it was published in 1980.[1] It sold three million copies and was turned into a television movie starring Buddy Ebsen, Joey Cramer, and Gordon Tootoosis and directed by Harvey Hart in 1987.[2] It was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year for 1980 (Nov. 30, 1980. p. BR4), and was included in 100 Best Books for Children by Anita Silvey.[3]
The book is about a boy named Little Willy who enters a dog sled race in order to win $500 to pay back the taxes on his grandfather's farm. It is written in simple prose and is set at an indeterminate time in the American Old West. The book was inspired by a Rocky Mountain legend that Gardiner heard when he visited Idaho.[1] Gardiner originally wrote Stone Fox as a screenplay, but turned it into a book at a producer's suggestion.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
Little Willy and his dog Searchlight find Willy's grandfather lying in bed. Doc Smith, the only doctor in town, tells Willy that his grandfather no longer wants to live. Clifford Snider, a tax collector, sneaks into Little Willy's house and, with a derringer in his hand, demands to know how much his grandfather owes the state. After seeing some papers he tells Willy that they owe the state of Wyoming 500 dollars. The next day Willy enters a dog sled race that has a reward of 500 dollars. Willy sees a sled being pulled by five Samoyeds (fast dogs used for sled racing). The man on the sled signs up for the race, and Willy learns it is Stone Fox, a Native American who doesn't talk to white people and has never lost a race. During the race, Searchlight is so tired that her heart bursts and she dies instantly about 10 feet from the finish line. Stone Fox makes a line on the ground with his boot, takes out his rifle, and warns that if any other racers cross the line, he'll shoot. He then concedes the match to Willy by letting Willy carry Searchlight across the finish line to everyone's amazement.
[edit] Characters
- Little Willy - the protagonist of the book, he lives with his grandfather in a potato farm in Wyoming.
- Searchlight - Willy's loyal black dog who dies at the end of the story.
- Grandfather - Willy's grandfather, he is in bed throughout the book but in the climax he's up cheering for Willy to win.
- Doc Smith - the town's only doctor and a close friend to Willy and Grandfather.
- Stone Fox - a Native American resentful of White seizure of his people's land. He never speaks to Whites and has never lost a race, using the prize money towards buying their land back.
- Mr. Clifford Snider - a tax collector who often smokes.
- Mr. Foster - the bank president who helps Willy with the paper work.
- Lester - a kind store clerk who runs Lester's general store.
- Dusty the Drunk - the town drunkard who tells Willy of Stone Fox.
[edit] Movie
| Stone Fox | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Harvey Hart |
| Produced by | James Anthony Allard Elliott Friedgen |
| Written by | Walter Halsey Davis |
| Starring | Joey Cramer, Buddy Ebsen, Gordon Tootoosis |
| Music by | Allyn Ferguson Peter Matz |
| Cinematography | Richard Letterman |
| Editing by | Doug Forbes |
| Production company | Hanna Barbera Productions Taft Entertainment Television Allarcom, Ltd. |
| Original channel | NBC (USA) |
| Release date | March 30, 1987 |
Stone Fox is a 1987 television adaptation of the book starring Buddy Ebsen (as Grandpa), Joey Cramer (as Willy), Gordon Tootoosis (as Stone Fox), Belinda Montgomery (as Doc Smith), J.C. Roberts (as The Mayor/Blacksmith), Dale Wilson (as Mr. Lester) and Nikky Jansen (as Sarah Foster). The film was produced by Allarcom Limited and Taft Broadcasting in association with Hanna-Barbera.
The plot in the movie is a little different from the book, Willy has to win the race to save his Grandpa's Cattle Ranch. At the end of the film Stone Fox leaves Willy a baby dog after the death of Morgan (Searchlight). The movie was filmed at Fort Edmonton Park, Fox Drive and Whitemud Drive in Alberta, Canada.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Silvey, Anita, 2002, The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators, Houghton Mifflin Books, ISBN 0618190821.
- ^ a b John R. Gardiner, kids’ author, dies at 61, MSNBC.
- ^ Silvey, Anita, 2004, 100 Best Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Books, ISBN 0618278893.
