The Bad Guys

Part beginning chapter-book, part graphic novel/comic book, The Bad Guys is the first of Australian author/artist Aaron Blabey's hilarious series devoted to the (mis)adventures of its eponymous (ahem!) heroes. Narrated by Mr. Wolf, who is tired of being cast as one of the bad guys in stories, it follows the formation of a new group, composed of traditional "baddies" - Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark - whose intention (whether they like it or not) is to do good deeds. Their first effort - rescuing a cat trapped in a tree - doesn't go quite as planned, but Mr. Wolf is not to be put off, and he soon has his fellow bad guys involved in a new plot: to break two hundred dogs out of the local pound...

Intensely amusing - I was show more chuckling aloud while reading this at lunch! - The Bad Guys is excellently paced, with the perfect pairing of text and artwork, and a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. The reluctant participation of Mr. Wolf's confederates had me giggling, as did the less-than-enthusiastic response of the creatures they set out to save. The scene in which the rescuers attempt to cajole the terrified cat out of the tree is particularly droll, and the scene in which an exasperated Mr. Snake swallows Mr. Piranha had me in stitches. I would imagine that the target audience for this one - I would say, young readers who are just getting going with chapter-books - will be likewise entertained, and will appreciate the silly sense of humor and hilarious hi-jinks. For my part, I now want to know what these four "bad guys" get up to in their next adventure, The Bad Guys in Mission Unpluckable! show less

This is pure snark from beginning to end. A hyperactive wolf has decided he doesn’t want to be a bad guy anymore and he collects some other famous villains; a great white shark, rattlesnake, and piranha to form a club to do Good Deeds. It’s an uphill struggle, first to rescue a kitten and then dogs from the pound, but the Bad Guys eventually decide they are up for this Good Deeds stuff, in their own, sharp-toothed, style.

Black and white pencil sketches fill this beginning chapter graphic novel with partially-eaten rap sheets for the various characters and their distinct personalities. Beginning with Mr. Wolf’s manic enthusiasm, the story introduces cool, sardonic Mr. Snake, sinister Mr. Piranha, and dim but volatile Mr. Shark. show more Their bulbous eyes and toothy smiles bring out the personality of each and readers will giggle along as the club starts out in their classic car, looking cool, and searching for good deeds to do.

Verdict: Hilarious fun. If you really wanted to you could parlay it into a lesson about not judging by appearances, but since none of the creatures are exactly innocent…. It’s probably better not to. Just enjoy the snark and share it with readers who like the wit and humor of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. I won’t be adding this until next year, as I only purchase new beginning chapter paperbacks in January, but it’s definitely on my list for 2018.

ISBN: 9780545912402; Published 2016 by Scholastic; Borrowed from another library in my consortium show less

What a gem in disguise. I knew these books were popular but I never got around to reading it until now. The first book in the series is about a wolf that decides to start a good guys club with a lot of well known bad guys. These bad guys are Mr. Pirahana, Mr, Snake, and Mr. Shark. All these guys want to do is eat (people/anything) and Mr. Wolf is determined to turn their bad reputations into good ones so he brings them on rescue missions. The rescue missions don't go as smoothly as they'd hope and they are very funny. Students will eat these books right up and they are great for struggling readers, ELL students, and possibly a unit to focus on sight words/words that were in spanish, etc.

So what we're dealing with is a group of misunderstood heroes who've been labeled as bad guys. Isn't that they way?

We've got the Dangerous Mr. Wolf, the Very Dangerous Mr. Snake, the Extremely Dangerous Mr. Piranha, and the Ridiculously Dangerous Mr. Shark. An unlikely quartet, sure. Yet, it's true. Four misunderstood fellas just trying to live their lives, yet the world calls them "bad'.

Ever try to do something good and have it twisted into the most super-villany thing you can envision? That's what these Bad Guys, er, Good Guys are dealing with.

A true to life telling that I think most kids (and adults) can relate to in the most hilarious way.

This was a quick read for me, a self-proclaimed adult. The illustrations were humorous too! I show more think it moved along at a pace that would be right to keep a child just grasping chapter books interested. Thumbs up on this one! show less

Mr. Big Bad Wolf wants to turn good so along with a selectively recruited gang he goes on the offensive to change people's minds. Of course, that does not change minds as those who are rescued cannot tell who it good and who is bad.

I found this funny. Kids are gonna love it! Even though they try to be good, it does not work out so well but Mr. Wolf feels good about their work. I cannot wait to read the next book.

The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey originally had me quite frustrated because I felt that the labeling (the library's call number) misrepresented the content of the book. [Essentially The Bad Guys was labeled as a Young Reader meaning that the intended audience was anywhere from 2nd-4th grade depending on the reading level of the child. I feel that it was more accurately categorized as an Easy Reader (1st-2nd grade) which is quite different and generally means there are less words and more illustrations per page. I'm mentioning all of this because while it might not matter to some (like if you're not picking up books for your kid(s)) it may have an impact on others.] This is the first book in a series (6 so far) which follows a crew of 'bad' show more animals: a wolf, snake, shark, and piranha (who is the funniest and fartiest). The wolf decides to round up fellow bad guys to change their image and reform their behavior. He is initially met with skepticism but throughout the book the other members of the club start to come around to his side and become quite enthusiastic about the enterprise. Their first mission is to break 200 dogs out of an animal shelter but from the outset there are large obstacles in their path...mainly how 4 dangerous animals are going to get in the front door of an animal shelter. Cue the shark coming up with a rather camp solution... The appeal of this book rests mainly in its silly humor and quick pacing. Young audiences will surely gobble this up and ask for the next in the series immediately. 7/10 because it didn't totally blow me away but I could see myself reading more for a quick palate cleanser (I may or may not have read the #6 already). show less

Come for the snake-wearing-a-suit, stay for the piranha farts. Sweet, simple; super cute drawings in a story about how kindness can involve crossdressing and explosions.