The world of children’s fables is a veritable zoo of interspecies moral-making. Newfoundland poet George Murray and painter Michael Pittman join the fray with their first picture book, starring a fox named Wow Wow, a crow named Haw Haw, and dozens of tiny black fleas.

When Wow Wow finds himself riddled with fleas, he tries everything he can think of to exterminate his problem with no success. Haw Haw, who first appears to be mocking the fox, rescues him with a clever trick using the river and a clump of Wow Wow’s fur to lure the fleas into a watery grave.

Anthropomorphizing is a standard tactic in kidlit, but it is lopsided in this tale. While readers are privy to Wow Wow’s inner monologue and feelings of desperation about his itchy predicament, Haw Haw remains purely one-dimensional. What could have made for some comedic or interesting interactions between the two species is lost, with Haw Haw simply functioning as an encouraging noisemaker in the background.

Pittman’s art, however, is well matched to the spirit of the story, with his greatest success being his portrayal of the fleas. The merciless villains are depicted as frenetic bits of terrorizing black popcorn that are either reverberating off Wow Wow mid-scratch or resting painfully close to his eyes and nose. The highly textured illustrations have a rustic, beautifully primitive quality, reminiscent of the work of iconic Canadian illustrator Elizabeth Cleaver.

And the moral to this story? There doesn’t seem to be one, beyond the genius of crows, but the book is still a solid offering. Plenty of onomatopoeic opportunities for younger children to shout along with Fox and Crow’s “Ow! Ow!” and “Haw! Haw!,” plus the endless flea-counting possibilities, make this one to share.