The Big Bad Fox
By Benjamin Renner
ISBN: 9781626723313
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Summary:
Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Fox? No one, it seems.
The fox dreams of being the terror of the barnyard. But no one is intimidated by him, least of all the hens. When he picks a fight with one, he always ends up on the losing end. Even the wolf, the most fearsome beast of the forest, can’t teach him how to be a proper predator. It looks like the fox will have to spend the rest of his life eating turnips.
But then the wolf comes up with the perfect scheme. If the fox steals some eggs, he could hatch the chicks himself and raise them to be a plump, juicy chicken dinner. Unfortunately, this plan falls apart when three adorable chicks hatch and call the fox Mommy. (Goodreads)
Review:
Benjamin Renner has penned an enjoyable read with The Big Bad Fox. The premise is that the fox wishes to eat chicken for his next meal and be the terror of the farm. However, the hens are having nothing to do with that. In fact, at every opportunity they beat up the fox. So, the fox seeks advice from the wolf (who also wants to eat chicken!). What ensues is a hilarious attempt with the fox stealing three chicken eggs, keeping them warm until they hatch and then having a moral dilemma about eating the chicks – much to the chagrin of the wolf. In fact, the three chicks come to call the fox mommy.
I found the story to be one where not just a young reader would appreciate the humor but the more mature set would as well. Additionally, there are a couple of twists which make it endearing in that we get to witness the change of heart that the fox has.
Graphics were adequate, nothing spectacular but since the humor was more in the vein of slapstick, the graphics served the book well. In fact, at times it felt like I was watching an episode of The Road Runner Show – a cartoon that ran from 1966 – 1973. I kept thinking…poor fox… no matter how hard the fox tries, things just go haywire and turn around on him.
All in all, a fun read for readers of all ages. I recommend this book (in either English or French) for those who wish to laugh while reading, either by yourself or to your children. Or better yet, the children reading to you!
