The Bad Guys (The Bad Guys Series #1)

by Aaron Blabey, Aaron Blabey (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Just because you’re born a bad guy doesn’t mean you have to stay one. Or does it? This instant classic, the first in the series, tells the story of four typical bad guys (a wolf, shark, piranha, and snake) as they grapple with their supposed destiny. Experimentally told with the perfect balance of text and visuals, this tale is unstoppably hilarious.

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE!

"I wish I'd had these books as a kid. Hilarious!" — Dav Pilkey, creator of Captain Underpants and Dog ManThis New York Times bestselling illustrated series is perfect for fans of Dog Man and Captain Underpants.They sound like bad guys, they look like bad guys . . . and they even smell like bad guys. But Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark are about to change all of that...Mr. Wolf has a daring plan for the Bad Guys' first good mission. They are going to break two hundred dogs out of the Maximum Security City Dog Pound. Will Operation Dog Pound go smoothly? Will the Bad Guys become the Good Guys? And will Mr. Snake please stop swallowing Mr. Piranha?!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545912402
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	12/27/2016
Series:	Aaron Blabey's Bad Guys Series
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	4,936
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Aaron Blabey has written many well-loved, bestselling books for children. He is the creator of three hugely successful series for children — the New York Times bestselling The Bad Guys, Pig the Pug, and Thelma the Unicorn. The Bad Guys movie released in 2022. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation with Aaron serving as an executive producer on the project.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Bad Guys:* "[T]his book instantly joins the classic ranks of Captain Underpants and The Stinky Cheese Man. We challenge anyone to read this and keep a straight face." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

From the Publisher

11/01/2016
Gr 2–4—Be prepared to hear laughter, and lots of it, as students plunge into this graphic novel hybrid. The story opens with Mr. Wolf speaking directly to the audience. Despite his "big, pointy teeth," his "razor-sharp claws," and his suspicious rap sheet filled with familiar "Three Little Pigs" and "Little Red Riding Hood" references, he implores readers to believe he is not a bad guy. Mr. Wolf is on a quest to persuade his carnivorous friends to be part of the Good Guys Club. Their first mission is to rescue a cat from a tree, and even though his friends think Mr. Wolf has lost his mind, they agree to help. Illustrations exaggerate the animals' sharp teeth and wide smiles as they stare up at the terrified kitty. After a few bumps in the plan (namely, Mr. Snake eating Mr. Piranha), an accidental success ensues and they move on to their grand plan of freeing 200 dogs from the pound. Expressive illustrations and typography will captivate budding readers' attention and aid in comprehension. Witty and slapstick humor coupled with menacing animal faces on a bright orange cover ensures this book will appeal to a wide audience. VERDICT Reminiscent of Aaron Reynolds's Carnivores and Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, this humorous title is highly recommended for all libraries.—Beth Parmer, New Albany Elementary Library, OH

School Library Journal

★ 2016-09-19
Four misunderstood villains endeavor to turn over a new leafor a new rap sheet in Blabey's frenzied romp. As readers open the first page of this early chapter book, Mr. Wolf is right there to greet them, bemoaning his reputation. "Just because I've got BIG POINTY TEETH and RAZOR-SHARP CLAWS and I occasionally like to dress up like an OLD LADY, that doesn't mean / I'm a BAD GUY." To prove this very fact, Mr. Wolf enlists three equally slandered friends into the Good Guys Club: Mr. Snake (aka the Chicken Swallower), Mr. Piranha (aka the Butt Biter), and Mr. Shark (aka Jaws). After some convincing from Mr. Wolf, the foursome sets off determined to un-smirch their names (and reluctantly curbing their appetites). Although these predators find that not everyone is ready to be at the receiving end of their helpful efforts, they use all their Bad Guy know-how to manage a few hilarious good deeds. Blabey has hit the proverbial nail on the head, kissed it full on the mouth, and handed it a stick of Acme dynamite. With illustrations that startle in their manic comedy and deadpan direct address and with a narrative that follows four endearingly sardonic characters trying to push past (sometimes successfully) their fear-causing natures, this book instantly joins the classic ranks of Captain Underpants and The Stinky Cheese Man. We challenge anyone to read this and keep a straight face. (Fiction. 7-11)

Kirkus Reviews