Bad Boys

This is a great book to tell a familiar story of sheep and wolves, as well as introducing the idea of being yourself and being honest. ( )

Willy and Wally were bad boys. Very bad boys! When the two wolves find themselves pursued by some very angry enemies, they decide to disguise themselves as sheep, and "go on the lam." Transforming themselves into Willimina and Wallanda, two of Little Bo Peep's lost sheep, they join the local flock. But a wise old ovine matron named Betty Mutton is soon on to them, and decides to teach them a lesson they won't soon forget...

When I saw this picture-book on the shelf at the local library, this past weekend, I was intrigued. I've enjoyed some of Margie Palatini's other send-ups of classic story themes - her exploration of Aesop, in Lousy Rotten Stinkin' Grapes, her take on witches, in Piggie Pie! - and thought her vision of "the big bad wolf" might be amusing. I even thought that Bad Boys, together with its sequels (Bad Boys Get Cookie! and Bad Boys Get Henpecked!), might be in the vein of Daniel Pinkwater's hilarious Bad Bears books. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed in this one, and although I picked up on the puns, I simply wasn't as amused as I'd expected to be. Perhaps I expected more of a revision of the "bad" wolf idea, but although Willy and Wally aren't successful in their efforts, they are still up to no good, in the end. Margie Palatini fans might still want to take a look at this one, but I think I'll forgo the sequels. ( )

Summary: This book is about two bad wolves that like to cause problems and are trying to find something to eat. The two wolves dress up like sheep and try to go hang out with the sheep and fit in to get close and end up eating them. One of the sheep realized they were not sheep but wolves and tricked them into following the sheep to get shaved and they got caught!

Personal Reaction: Good book, the famous story of the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Don’t try to fool people and pretend to be someone that you’re not to try to get what you want.

Classroom Extensions:
1.Talk about why people should not try to fool others to get what they want.
2.Make wolves and dress them up in scrap fabric or in cotton balls to make them look like sheep. ( )

Two hungry wolves in disguise attempt to raid a sheep farm. ( )

The modern fantasy book that I read was, "Bad Boys". It is about to wolves that con everyone by dressing as women sheep to eat the sheep they are fooling. The sheep are suspicious of them asnd lead them to what the wolves think is the food line. They hear a mysterious "buzzing" sound and are speculating as to what it may be when they are both shaved. The two wolves run off and are mocked and laughed at by the sheep. They are left to deal with their bad haircuts.

I thought this book was pretty humorous and I liked the pictures. I think that children will enjoy the animals being dressed up to look like sheep. I also think they will enjoy that they are two boys and are portraying girls. The only problem I had with the book is that the wolves have a smirk on their faces at the end that implies that they are not really sorry.

If I read this book to children, I would maybe have them tell me why lying is bad and explain the importance if being yourself. I would also have them tell me if any of them have ever had a bad haircut.