Fantastic Mr. Fox

Amazon.com
In the tradition of The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, this is a "garden tale" of farmer versus vermin, or vice versa. The farmers in this case are a vaguely criminal team of three stooges: "Boggis and Bunce and Bean / One fat, one short, one lean. / These horrible crooks / So different in looks / Were nonetheless equally mean." Whatever their prowess as poultry farmers, within these pages their sole objective is the extermination of our hero--the noble, the clever, the Fantastic Mr. Fox. Our loyalties are defined from the start; after all, how could you cheer for a man named Bunce who eats his doughnuts stuffed with mashed goose livers? As one might expect, the farmers in this story come out smelling like ... well, what farmers occasionally do smell like.

This early Roald Dahl adventure is great for reading aloud to three- to seven-year-olds, who will be delighted to hear that Mr. Fox keeps his family one step ahead of the obsessed farmers. When they try to dig him out, he digs faster; when they lay siege to his den, he tunnels to where the farmers least expect him--their own larders! In the end, Mr. Fox not only survives, but also helps the whole community of burrowing creatures live happily ever after. With his usual flourish, Dahl evokes a magical animal world that, as children, we always knew existed, had we only known where or how to look for it. (Great read aloud for any age; written at a 9- to 12-year-old reading level)


Review
"This reprint of the 1970 edition tells the story of clever Mr. Fox, his adoring wife, and their four small children, who outsmart three of the nastiest, ugliest, and ultimately dumbest farmers ever to raise poultry. Librarians will want to consider purchasing this newly released edition."--Booklist.  


Book Description
Mr. Fox is surrounded! He's going to have to come up with a truly fantastic plan to dig himself out of trouble this time. Roald Dahl is one of the most beloved storytellers of all time, and his books have been children's favorites for generations. Puffin is proud to offer a strong new look for nine of our classic Roald Dahl titles. The distinctive cover treatment, with new art by Quentin Blake, will make these books easily recognizable. In addition, Quentin Blake's funny, quirky illustrations now appear in all of the books. So turn the page and you'll be sure to have a Dahl-ectable summer!


Card catalog description
Three farmers, each one meaner than the other, try all-out warfare to get rid of the fox and his family.


Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

In this story, a gentleman fox outwits three crass and vindictive farmers in order to protect his family from extinction. The beginning chapters describe the characters, the following sixteen present a constant stream of adventures as the bitter confrontation ensues between Mr. Fox and Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Chapter titles announce the direction the story is taking. Clever use of language gives an aura of refinement to the fox family, while one of villainy surrounds the farmers. When Bean announces that "I want that fox! I'm going to get that fox! I'm not giving in till I've strung him up over my front porch, dead as a dumpling!" the reader immediately aligns with Mr. Fox despite the fact that he is stealing chickens! The line drawings, with washes of gray are spontaneous and lively. Not a page goes by without a detailed drawing reinforcing the mood of the story. Seeing Bean's ears filled with "all kinds of muck and wax and bits of chewing gum and dead flies and stuff like that" only strengthens the reader's dislike of the character. This illustrated reinterpretation highlights the vibrant qualities of this story. 1998 (orig.


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices