Readaloud of the Week: The Bad Guys
THE BAD GUYS by by Aaron Blabey
Sometimes, you just need a book that you can count on to make everyone laugh out loud, and that’s definitely what you get with The Bad Guys. Fans of funny elementary chapter books like Captain Underpants or The Stinky Cheese Man will be glad to discover a new silly series, but there’s a good chance everyone in your family will be giggling at this story.
Mr. Wolf (whose villainous ways you may remember from Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs) is tired of everyone thinking he’s the bad guy, so he decides it’s time to reform his reputation. This is no easy task for a fairy tale villain, of course, so Mr. Wolf enlists the help of a few of his good friends: Mr. Snake (also known as the Chicken Swallower), Mr. Piranha (also known as the Butt Biter), and the notorious Mr. Shark. Together, this band of bad guys hatches the ultimate do-gooder scheme: Rescue to 200 dogs from the Maximum Security City Dog Pound. What could possibly go wrong?
Go into this read knowing that this book prioritizes the punch line above all else — including plot, character development, narrative continuity, and literary quality. Funny is the point, and there’s plenty of funny. With minimal text and witty illustrations, The Bad Guys is also a good gateway book for a reluctant reader, who may well pick it up for a reread after your readaloud. Mostly, though, it’s a book you can laugh your way through together, and when your homeschool needs a little dose of laughter, this book is a solid bet.
Quotable: “What do you do if a cat is stuck in a tree?”
“Eat it.”
