AUTHOR STUDY:

MEM FOX

A biography and points of reference on Mem Fox and

her works.

Erin Jones LIC 548: Advanced Study of Language and Literacy

Erin Jones Mem Fox 1

Mem Fox: Biography

Mem Fox was born Merrion Fances Partridge (don’t tell you know her given name! She

is not a fan!) in Melbourne, Australia in 1946. Six months after her birth she and her parents

moved to Africa where they were missionaries. In Africa, Mem grew up and attended n all-black

school. The school was very poor. The children had no paper, so they

learned to write their letters in the dirt with their fingers. Once they

mastered their letters, they were allowed to write on slates with chalk.

As Mem was the only white child in a black school, authorities were

eventually notified and she was forced to leave her friends and attend

an all white school. The children at the new school made fun of Mem

because she spoke English with an African accent.

In 1965 Mem decided to go to college in London to study drama. While she was there

she met her husband, Malcolm Fox, who was a French and drama teacher at the school. In 1969

Mem married Malcolm. Together they traveled a few months before moving to Southern

Australia, in 1970, in order to be closer to Mem’s aging grandfather who lived alone. The intent

was to eventually move around and travel, but they have ended up staying in Southern Australia

since. In 1971 Mem and Malcolm welcomed their daughter, Chloe, into the world. Chole is

their only child. As of 2013 she is a politician in their area.

While Mem was teaching drama at Flinders University in Southern Australia, she decided

to “re-train” out of drama into literacy studies in order to find out how children best learn to read

and write. She started teaching teachers how to teach children how to read and write. Mem

retired in 1996 after 24 years of teaching. (memfox.com)

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Some Stories Behind Mem’s Books

Her first book, Possum Magic, a story about a grandmother who turns her grand possum

invisible in order to protect her and the adventures to make her seen again, was published in

1983 after being rejected nine times by

nine different publishers. Possum

Magic started out as a class assignment

and was originally called Hush the

Invisible Mouse. Possum Magic has

sold over 5 million copies worldwide

and is Australia’s best known children’s

book. In 2004 a collector’s edition was

released with only 500 copies available.

This sold out immediately. This book

has been set to music and adapted for

the stage as a play.

Mem’s second book, Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge is a book of an aging woman

who has lost her memory and a little boy who helps her find it. It was conceived in Mem’s

imagination after visiting her grandfather in a nursing home. She noticed the lack of children

there and decided to write a book about how children and the elderly connect. “Old people and

children get along brilliantly, yet here they were, separated from each other by the craziness of

our society. So I decided to write a book that might bring children and the elderly together in the

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hope that teachers might initiate the inter-generational contact.” (memfox.com) While her

grandfather did not have memory problems, her father

did eventually have dementia, making this book sad

and potent to her. Many adults relate to this book and

the topic and it is a favorite among adult readers.

Mem has written for adults as well. She

published Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our

Children Will Change Their Lives Forever in 2001. This book helps adults find meaning in

reading aloud to children. Mem covers a variety of topics from how to choose a book, to

intonation, to encouraging boys to read. She was asked to write this book as if she were talking

to a friend in a colloquial fashion. This makes the book accessible and less academic.

Mem on Writing

Mem’s children’s books come from real life situations, other books, and feelings. She

has written around 40 books. Her character’s names come from friends and family. She makes

connections in her books that appeal to children and

adults. She has written since she was a child:

reports on soil erosion, children’s books, letters, and

journals! She is a grandmother, a mother, a wife, a

sister, a traveler, a lecturer, and a writer. On writing

Mem says, “I write on a computer, an i-pad, and a

smart phone, but I still use a pencil and paper whenever I have a writing problem to solve. My

brain loves it when I write in pencil.” She hand writes all her first drafts in a quiet room with a

4B pencil. She uses this type of pencil because the lead is softer and it makes her hand less tired.

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She believes that before you can write you must read hundreds of books and “only reading

teaches you to write.” Why the quiet? “I work in total silence because writing picture books is

like creating music. I have to hear the words in my head. I read my drafts aloud, over and over

again. If there is a fly buzzing in the room I have to kill it!” (memfox.com)

Ironically, Mem does not like writing children’s picture books. She thinks the process is

torturous. Picture books must be 500 words or less. This is a challenge for Mem as she likes

words. She rewrites and rewrites. But she does it because in the end it makes children happy.

She loves to hear how a child loves her books! While she has written nonfiction books for

adults, she is not at all interested in writing fiction for them. (memfox.com)

Mem on Literacy and Reading to Our Children

On literacy she writes, “Literacy has become the great focus of my life – it’s my passion,

my battle, my mission, and my exhaustion.”

Mem has 10 Commandments of Reading for parents, but are relevant for teachers as well.

1. Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud. From birth!

2. Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story three times. Children need to hear

a thousand stories before they can begin to learn to read. Or the same story a thousand

times!

3. Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don’t be dull, or flat, or boring.

Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot.

4. Read with joy and enjoyment: real enjoyment for yourself and great joy for the listeners

5. Read the stories that your child loves, over and over, and over again, and always read in

the same ‘tune’ for each book: i.e. with the same intonations and volume and speed, on

each page, each time.

6. Let children hear lots of language by talking to them constantly about the pictures, or

anything else connected to the book; or sing any old song that you can remember; or say

nursery rhymes in a bouncy way; or be noisy together doing clapping games

7. Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young children, and make sure the books

are really short.

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8. Play games with the things that you and the child can see on the page, such as letting kids

finish rhymes, and finding the letters that start the child’s name and yours, remembering

that it’s never work, it’s always a fabulous game.

9. Never ever teach reading, or get tense around books.

10. Please read aloud every day because you just adore being with your child, not because it’s

the right thing to do.” (memfox.com)

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Literary Elements

Within Mem Fox’s works the reader can find many literary elements portrayed. While

Mem writes for children, she understands that within her audience will be adults as well. Mem’s

books cannot all be categorized into one element as she uses many, though not always at once. It

is easy to see the complication of finding just a few books to show just a few examples. With

over 40 books to choose from, Mem presents the reader with a plethora of teaching material for

not only literary elements, but books for teaching children to read and love the books they are

reading. The three literary elements this paper focuses on are: the use of cultural references and

pacifism, the use of personification, and the use of repetitive language.

Use of Pacifism

Pacifism is the belief that any violence is unnecessary and unjustifiable. When an author

uses pacifism within her writing, the reader is given the chance to learn about peace in

circumstances in which violence or war may surround. The use of this element can also help the

reader to gain an appreciation for other cultures. By using pacifism within a story, children are

given moral roads to map out and understand. Children’s literature containing pacifism can do

so without mentioning a specific cultural. Instead pacifism lends itself to acceptance of all

cultures and promotes peaceful ways to resolve conflicts. Mem Fox’s books could be used to

integrate social studies with literature by opening discussion of the unrest in areas of the United

States and other countries. Her books lend a sometimes vivid view of what could happen in war

as well as what peace and acceptance can bring to our lives.

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Example: Feathers and Fools by Mem Fox

Illustrated: Nicholas Wilton

Publisher: HMH Books For Young Readers 2000

Feathers and Fools tells of a flock of swans, those who swim, and a flock of peacocks,

those who do not swim. Both birds look at each other and judge each other by their swimming

ability or lack thereof. They do not speak to each other, but are suspicious because the other is

different. Each day tensions mount. Weapons are made. War is declared. All the birds die. In

the end, there is sadness, but also hope. Two small birds are born, a swan and a peacock. There

are alone in devastation they know nothing about, and become friends.

They stumbled towards each other, alive with curiosity and trust.

“You’re just like me,” said the first. “You have feathers and two legs.”

“You’re just like me,” said the second. “You have a head and two eyes.”

“Shall we be friends?” said the first,

“Most certainly,” replied the second.

So off they went together, in peace and unafraid, to face the day and share the

world. (Fox, 2000)

While this books does not promote one single culture, the reader can see how this book can

used to promote acceptance of all cultures. The swans and peacocks judged each other because

they are different. They spread the fear of the differences and it becomes hate. However, in the

end we see two young birds, never exposed to such fear. This book teaches children that we are

not born with hate. Rather, we learn from what has been said around us and what we are

expected to do in our life. As teachers, pacifism and acceptance are immense learning tools.

Helping children relate and understand how some people act out of fear, how fear can become

hate, how hate can start wars. Discussing this is difficult with any age, but with a fable type feel,

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Feathers and Fools is an excellent source to introduce acceptance of all people. Mem feels

strongly about the need for peace, she writes, “I believe that we cannot live in isolation from

others’ suffering and that war solves nothing. It causes immeasurable, long-lasting trauma to the

families of both the killers and the killed, let alone the permanently incapacitated. My writing of

this book, and the others, is a tiny, fierce protest against conflict of any kind.” (memfox.com)

Example: Whoever You Are by Mem Fox

Illustrated: Leslie Staub

Publisher: First Voyager Books 2001

Whoever You Are is a beautifully illustrated book

with a theme of acceptance and understanding. This

book starts with a man and four children all of different races and begins a whirlwind journey

around the world. At each stop the reader finds children in their homeland doing the same

activities as the listener would. The books states differences:

Their lives may be different from yours,

And their words may be very different from yours.

But inside, their hearts are just like yours,

Whoever they are, wherever they are, all over the world. (Fox, 2001)

Unlike Feathers and Fools this book is aimed at a much younger age level. The simple words

and pictures allow children to relate to others that may not look like them. There is a simple

message of peace and understanding. A message that while we are different, we are very much

the same. The illustrations in the book are unique. The illustrations are calm and nurturing.

They impart a certain seriousness the book intends. Mem states, “We have to get to the

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children, while they’re young. Teach them about the similarities between the peoples of the

world, not the differences.” (memfox.com)

Whoever You Are is a teaching tool that can be used with younger students. The teaching

of acceptance should not be just on “Peace Week” or within a “Diversity” lesson around Martin

Luther King Jr. Day. It should be year round. Even if all the children within a classroom look

similar, we should celebrate what makes us different, yet see that we are indeed very similar, that

we are all human. We are all friends. We are all in this world together. This book, with its

simple language can appeal to the very young, but can also be used to reinforce points for the

older children too. This book, as well as Feathers and Fools, can work to integrate within other

content areas, such as social studies.

Example: Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox

Illustrated: Helen Oxenbury

Publisher: Harcourt, Inc. 2008

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, is

a tale of babies. These babies are from all around

the world. Once again, Mem Fox allows the

reader to see the differences of cultures, but

points out every baby has, “…ten little fingers, and ten little toes.” (Fox, 2008) While Feathers

and Fools are for an older audience, and Whoever You Are is for a younger audience, Ten Little

Fingers and Ten Little Toes is directed at the very young. The pictures are soft and soothing.

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The language is calming and rythmic, but still the language is teaching acceptance. The message

is clear, even without illustrations:

There was one little baby who was born on the ice.

And another in a tent, who was just as nice.

And both of these babies, as everyone knows,

Had ten little fingers and ten little toes. (Fox, 2008)

This book, with its simple words and adorable illustrations of babies around the world,

lends itself to teach even the youngest of children about acceptance and peace. Reading these

books are so important in the earliest stages. While we are not born with hate, we must help

children learn acceptance.

Mem’s use of pacifism within these three books in particular, extends over various age

groups but contains the same powerful message. Children must be taught to accept everyone

regardless of relgion, station in life, or race. Fox has given us tools in which to do this. One

may not think of pacifism as a literary element, but fables and fairy tales have been using tales as

moral compasses to guide youth well before Fox. A search and understanding for peace is very

relative in today’s unrest in the world. As teachers, we must believe that we can help make a

difference in children’s views. Literature is one way to help our students relate to difficult

topics, content, and issues in their lives and in the world around them.

Use of Personification

Personification is the act giving of human traits to animals. Mem Fox uses this often in

her work allowing animals to do things that humans cannot do. The use of personification in

children’s books often makes stories more relatable to children. Personification allows children

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to see the fantasy in life. Again, the moral compass usually comes in allowing for children to

feel guided to make the choices of the animals.

Within a classroom setting, these books help children learn to write with imagination and

with voice. This type of creative outlet can allow students to write about personal experiences

without feeling too exposed.

Example: Koala Lou by Mem Fox

Illustrated: Pamela Lofts

Publisher: Voyager Books 1988

Koala Lou is young koala loved by everyone,

but especially by her mom. Her mom reinforces this by

saying, “Koala Lou, I DO love you!” (Fox, 1988) As

the story progresses, Koala Lou’s family grows and

Koala Lou feels a little abandoned and neglected by her mom, who has her hands full with new

little koalas. Koala Lou decides she will train and enter the Bush Olympics in order to win her

mother’s affections again. When game day comes, Koala Lou tries her best and climbs her

fastest, but is bested by another competitor. Koala Lou is heart broken and runs away to cry.

But:

When the first stars of evening appeared in the sky, Koala Lou crept home through the dark

and up into the gum tree. Her mother was waiting for her. Before she could say a word,

her mother had flung her arms around her neck and said, “Koala Lou, I DO love you! I

always have, and I always will.” And she hugged her for a very long time. (Fox, 1988)

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Many students can relate to having a new sibling, or even an older sibling and not getting

the attention of a parent. Many students can relate to acting out to get attention. Mem shows

children that regardless of what they do, parents still love you. This story is also relevant in

children’s lives to show that no matter how hard we work, there may be someone better.

Winning is not everything, and even if we lose, we are still loved.

Using this story to teach personification within a classroom setting allows children to feel

they too can write their own stories using animals to show emotion and events from their own

lives.

Example: Tell Me About Your Day Today by Mem Fox

Illustrated: Lauren Stringer

Publisher: Beach Lane Books 2012

In Tell Me About Your Day Today, a boy talks to

his stuffed animals and asks about their day. They all

answer him with a story told in pictures with included

text:

“…the who, the what, the why, and the way… then whole wild thing turned out okay.” (Fox

2012) At the end of the story, as the boy tells the stuffed animals of his day, the reader finds out

that the boy was with stuffed animals throughout the day and was living his emotions through the

stuffed animals’ stories.

In this book, each animal has a feeling to an experience: The goose sees a bird and wants

to fly, the horse felt scared, the rabbit got soaked… the boy experienced all these emotions.

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While the personification is actually the boy’s imagination of his animals talking to him, this

books shows that we can have a productive inner dialogue with ourselves. It allows children to

be secure with imaginary friends. As teachers we can give these inner discussions validation and

encourage students to write these discussions down. Thus allowing, once again the discussion to

come through animals if need be.

Example: Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox

Illustrated: Patricia Mullins

Publisher: Alladin 1986

Hattie and the Fox is a humorous

tale in which Hattie, a chicken, spies

something in the bushes. Her farmyard

friends seem rather nonchalant about what

she is seeing responding:

“Good grief!” said the goose.

“Well, well!” said the pig.

“Who cares?” said the sheep

“So what?” said the horse.

“What next?” said the cow. (Fox 1986)

As Hattie spies the fox coming out of the bush, the animals panic. They all panic, that is, except

for the cow, who scares the fox off with a loud, “MOO!”

This story personifies animals in a way that is funny to children. Reading this book, is

akin to watching a horror movie, where the next victim senses something is wrong, and yet does

nothing until is it almost too late. The building up of suspense and the dramatic rescue by the

larger animal is entertaining if nothing else. However, using this in a classroom allows students

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to simply see that you can add dialogue to anything. This story could have been told with people

in it, but the outcome would not have been nearly as funny… or maybe it would have, especially

if the text stayed exactly the same.

One also sees elements of fables within this book. Mem, herself, likens it to the chicken

and fox stories of old stating, “It is based on the traditional hen-and-fox tales, which go back to

Chaucer, Aesop and the dawn of time, I imagine. It has strong a basis in the structure of the story

of The Little Red Hen and also leans on Pat Hutchins’ famous book: Rosie’s Walk.”

(memfox.com) This book, as well as many others could fit into other literacy categories, for

example, repetitive language, and perhaps it would have fit better there, but the animal

illustrations in this book give such life the characters you can almost hear them on the page, so in

personification it shall stay.

Use of Repetitive Language

The use of repetitive language in Mem Fox’s books serves the explicit purpose of helping

children learn to read. However, Mem does this in a way that most Basal readers cannot. She

allows the text to have meaning and voice. Her writing allows the reader to use intonation and

find a story even when text is repeated often. As stated earlier, many of her books have repeated

texts, certainly many of the ones already discussed in this paper. These books as well as the

following, lend themselves to help children recognize whole words, while giving the words

meaning.

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Example: Where Is The Green Sheep? By Mem Fox

Illustrated: Judy Horacek

Publisher: Harcourt 2004

Where Is The Green Sheep? is a tale of hide and seek.

The rhyming and rhythm is only broken up by the incessant

question, “Where is the green sheep?” The reader must look

through all sorts of colors of fluffy sheep doing various activities, to try to find the elusive green

sheep.

Here is the blue sheep.

And here is the red sheep.

Here is the bath sheep.

And here is the bed sheep.

But where is the green sheep? (Fox 2004)

The green sheep is eventually found sleeping behind a bush at the end of the story.

Much of the language in this book is repeated. The pictures lend themselves to help with

decoding unknown words using word families and phonemic awareness. The teacher will find

by the end of the book, students will be reading along with her while looking expectantly for the

green sheep. Using repetitive language that has meaning in books is massively important in

teaching children not only to read, but to love books and reading.

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Example: Time For Bed by Mem Fox

Illustrated: Jane Dyer

Publisher: Harcourt 2003

It’s time for bed, little mouse, little mouse,

Darkness is falling all over the house. As

evidenced by this excerpt, Mem uses repetitive

language on just one page. The story continues saying good night to all sorts of animals using

the same cadence, language, and words on each page for each animal. This quiet and beautifully

illustrated book is a great calming down story. The rhythm in this books lends itself to a calm

voice. Even using so few words and so many repeated, Mem demonstrates how a book with

repeating language can still carry meaning and feeling. This book is also a fantastic book to

teach children reading skills. The cadence in books with repetitive language allow for children

to be more interested and aware of words on the page, as well as the meaning behind them.

Example: Shoes from Grandpa by Mem Fox

Illustrated: Patricia Mullins

Publisher: Aston Scholastic 1989

Shoes From Grandpa is an example of using repetitive

language for older children. There is still great

relevance in using books with repetitive language as

children master reading skills. This books has the

cadence that is reminiscent of The House That Jack Built.

And her cousin said,

“I’ll look for a blouse with ribbons and bows,

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to go with the skirt that won’t show the dirt,

to go with the socks from the local shops,

to go with the shoes from Grandpa.” (Fox 1992)

The story continues and the list gets longer and longer of all the things people give Jessie

after Grandpa gives her a pair of new shoes. The cadence and the repetition help children with

lists they may need to remember. The rhyming (though at some points the reader must think in

an Australian accent in order to hear the rhyme) gives teachers a tool to help students learn to

remember certain topics of importance. This book allows for children to visualize the whole

outfit. By hearing the list over and over growing the reader can almost feel the weight Jessie

must feel. In the end of the story, Jessie thanks everyone for their generosity but just wants a

pair for jeans to wear with her old shoes.

Using this book as a writing example allows teachers to help students think of words that can

cause imagery in the readers mind. Making lists allows for the building of a story as well. This

repetition can help them build a story in a sequence that makes sense to them, and then to the

reader, whether or not the final draft has the repetition in it.

Conclusion

Mem Fox uses more literary elements in her books than can be listed within a brief paper.

The elements described here simply stood out when reading through the books. Of the nine

listed, there were several alternates vying for a place within this paper. Mem’s books seemingly

beg to be put into classrooms, if for no other reason than to be read over and over again. Each

one has something to offer the reader and writer. Many of Mem’s books can fit neatly into

categories… or not so neatly making them more intriguing. Within these books lie help for

struggling readers and insight for struggling writers. The use of voice is apparent in every single

one of her books, including her nonfiction books for adults. You can see and hear her passion

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for good children’s literature. One can only hope to do the books justice when reading them to

children.

Children’s Books

Possum Magic (1983) illustrated by Julie Vivas

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge (1984) illustrated by Julie Vivas

A Cat called Kite (1985) illustrated by K. Hawley

Zoo-Looking (1986) illustrated by Rodney McRae

Arabella, the Smallest Girl in the World (1986) illustrated by Vicky Kitanov

Hattie and the Fox (1986) illustrated by Patricia Mullins

Just Like That (1986) with Kilmeny Niland

Sail Away: The Ballad of Skip and Nell (1986) illustrated by Pamela Lofts

The Straight Line Wonder (1987) illustrated by Meredith Thomas

A Bedtime Story (1987) illustrated by Sisca Verwoert

Goodnight Sleep Tight (1988) illustrated by Helen Semmler

Guess What? (1988) with Vivienne Goodman

Koala Lou (1988) illustrated by Pamela Lofts

With Love at Christmas (1988) illustrated by Fay Plamka

Night Noises (1989) illustrated by Terry Denton

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Feathers and Fools (1989) illustrated by Lorraine Ellis

Shoes from Grandpa (1989) illustrated by Patricia Mullins

Sophie (1989) illustrated by Craig Smith

Time for Bed (1993) illustrated by Jane Dyer

Tough Boris (1994) illustrated by Kathryn Brown

Wombat Divine (1995) illustrated by Kerry Argent

Boo to a Goose (1996) illustrated by David Miller

Whoever You Are (1998) illustrated by Leslie Staub

Sleepy Bears (1999) illustrated by Kerry Argent

Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild! (2000) illustrated by Marla Frazee

The Magic Hat (2002) illustrated by Tricia Tusa

Where Is The Green Sheep? (2004) illustrated by Judy Horacek

Hunwick’s Egg (2005) illustrated by Pamela Lofts

A Particular Cow (2006) illustrated by Terry Denton

Where the Giant Sleeps (2007) pictures by Vladimir Radunsky

Ten Little Fingers & Ten Little Toes illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (Sept. 2008)

Hello, Baby illustrated by Steve Jenkins (March 2009) (USA 5 May 2009)

A Giraffe in the Bath with Olivia Rawson, illustrated by Kerry Argent (March 2010)

Let's Count Goats illustrated by Jan Thomas, (October 2010)

The Little Dragon (April 2011)

Two Little Monkeys illustrated by Jill Barton, (May 2012)

Non-fiction

Thereby Hangs a Tale (1980)

How to Teach Drama to Infants Without Really Crying (Australian title) (1984)

(Teaching Drama to *Young Children (USA title) (1987))

Mem’s the Word (1990 - Australian title) (Dear Mem Fox (1992 - USA title)

English essentials : the wouldn’t-be-without-it guide to writing well (1993) with Lyn

Wilkinson

Memories : an autobiography (1992)

Radical reflections : passionate opinions on teaching, learning, and living (1993)

Reading Magic (2001)

English essentials : the wouldn’t-be-without-it guide to writing well (revised 2009) with

Lyn Wilkinson

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References Fox, M. (1986). Hattie and the Fox. Orlando: HArcourt, Inc.

Fox, M. (1988). Koala Lou. Orlando: Harcourt.

Fox, M. (1989). Feathers and Fools. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc.

Fox, M. (1989). Shoes from Grandpa. Gosford: Aston Scholastic.

Fox, M. (1993). Time For Bed. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc.

Fox, M. (1997). Whoever You Are. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt, Inc.

Fox, M. (2004). Where Is the Green Sheep? Orlando, Florida: Harcourt, Inc.

Fox, M. (2008). Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Inc.

Fox, M. (2012). Tell Me About Your Day. New York City: Simon and Schuster.

Fox, M. (n.d.). Mem Fox: writing, teaching, learning, loving, living. Retrieved from www.memfox.com