The Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, have been inspiring storytellers for centuries
A mysterious natural phenomenon
Unpredictable and usually appearing only on very cold nights
These enchanting illuminations have, through the ages
Aroused feelings that they have magical powers beyond human comprehension
In northern Finland and in Lapland there is a legend told about Tulikettu
The Fire Fox.
It is told that Tulikettu is a magical giant fox
Who lives in the snowy hills of the far north
When The Fire Fox runs fast in the snowy hills
It’s fur touches the snow and creates colourful magical sparkles
The sparks that fly from the fur of the magical fox soar into the sky
Creating the Northern Lights
The Finnish word for northern lights is revontulet which means fox fires
This beautiful Saami myth from Finnish Lapland
Of the revontulet
Or fox fires
Was the inspiration behind The Fire Fox
Written by Alexandra Page and illustrated by Stef Murphy
Published by Two Hoots
The story centres around Freya and her mum
Who have gone to a little cabin to get away for a while
The light has gone out of their lives since Freya’s dad passed away
Bea, my 7 year old, immediately noticed the endpapers in this book
At the beginning the scene is dark and Freya and her mum are driving to the cabin
At the end of the book the landscape is lighter
And the cabin lights are giving out a cosy glow
This story is about a mother and daughter trying to find their way after loss
Trying to find some light in the darkness
As they arrive at the cabin the snow is falling and Freya’s mum
Encourages her to go out exploring while she unpacks
Freya isn’t sure about going out though the snow looks perfect for sledging
When she does find the courage to venture out
She meets a magical fox in the snow
Freya can’t help but follow him into the forest
And on to a thrilling adventure
Together they dart and dip, spring and skip, twist and tip, swerve and slip
Never straying too far from the cabin and mum
As Freya and the fox race through the snow his tail swishes from side to side,
Sending frosty fires spiralling into the starlit sky
The sky dances with light
This part of the book makes me cry tears of empathy, understanding
And shared grief
Whenever we see something beautiful in the sky …
A rainbow, a moonbow, an especially bright star
A beautiful sunset, a stunning sunrise …
We always say that it is a sign from Tilda
That she is painting the sky to say hello
To let us know that she is there
That is how Freya feels on seeing the fox fires
The revontulet
The Northern Lights
Freya runs back to the cabin to find her mum and show her the gift from her father
He has painted the sky for them to let them know that he is there
For anyone who has ever lost a loved one
And especially those who have supported a bereaved child
This is a hugely poignant and emotive part of the story
Finding a way out of the darkness after loss is incredibly difficult
Finding a way to share your pain and grief
And begin talking together after loss often needs a key
A glimmer of hope
An opening
Freya and her mum reconnect and the love between them as they watch the skies
Shines from the page and is truly beautiful and incredibly emotional
I am crying now as I write this
There is so much love in this story
So much pain that is palpable at the start of the story
And that we understand is beginning to heal a little by the end
Watch in the illustrations for the signs of love and light
Taking hold as the pages turn
Look at the photograph over the fireplace at the beginning of the story
And again at the end
Spot the two little mice watching over the family throughout the story
Notice the empty chair in the cabin
As Freya and her mum snuggle together in the window seat
When Tilda died we changed our bedroom completely
As she died in that room and in the change we added a window seat
It is also a storage box and inside are all of Tilda’s things
which I sit and go through from time to time
This beautiful book has made me determined to make the window seat more comfy and cosy
And star filled, as it was always meant to be
A place for me to sit and watch the skies
This is such a special beautifully illustrated story
A comfort to anyone living with loss
A story of rediscovering joy and finding a light in the darkness
This is a beautiful illustration of love and hope
I am so very thankful to have it on our shelves
And to be able to reach for it in moments of Tilda sadness
