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The Tale of Tommy Fox (Sleepy-Time Tales)

Arthur Scott Bailey

Cover of The Tale of Tommy Fox (Sleepy-Time Tales)

The Tale of Tommy Fox (Sleepy-Time Tales)

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Arthur Scott Bailey

Reading Level 3 8C Ages 5-8 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.

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About This Book

Tommy Fox waits perfectly still, his eye just peeking around the tree trunk. Hours pass as he watches and waits, silent and patient. Suddenly, a nose pops out of the hole—what will happen next?

Themes

FictionChildren's BooksPatienceObservationNature

Quick Assessment

This gentle fiction book follows Tommy Fox on a patient hunt, teaching young readers about patience and observation in nature. Suitable for early readers ages 5-8, it features simple language and mild suspense without any intense content. It's a calm, engaging story ideal for bedtime or quiet reading times.

Why we rated The Tale of Tommy Fox (Sleepy-Time Tales) 8C

The Tale of Tommy Fox (Sleepy-Time Tales) is written at a Level 3 reading level across 56 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Tale of Tommy Fox (Sleepy-Time Tales) works for readers up to grade 5.0.

We rate The Tale of Tommy Fox (Sleepy-Time Tales) as 8C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.

Thematically, The Tale of Tommy Fox (Sleepy-Time Tales) explores fiction, children's books, patience, observation, and nature — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

  • Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
  • Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
  • Kids drawn to stories about fiction, children's books, patience.

Maybe not for

  • ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

8C — Clear
Emotional
Clear
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Clear

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

1/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
2
Emotional Weight
2
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

56 pages
ISBN
9781406504538
Pages
56
Publisher
Dodo Press
Published
March 30, 2006
Type
Fiction

Genres