Fantastic Mr. Fox - Softcover

Dahl, Roald

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0142423432 ISBN 13: 9780142423431

Publisher: Viking Childrens Books, 2012

Synopsis

From the bestselling author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG!

Someone's been stealing from the three meanest farmers around, and they know the identity of the thief--it's Fantastic Mr. Fox! Working alone they could never catch him, but now Boggis, Bunce, and Bean have joined forces, and they've concocted a cunning plan to dig him out of his hole once and for all. What they don't know is they're not dealing with just any fox. Mr. Fox would rather die than surrender, and he just happens to have a fantastic plan of his own . . .

This special edition of Roald Dahl's beloved story has a beautiful full-color interior and large trim to feature Quentin Blake's iconic art.

About this title

Review:

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. (Ages 9 to 12)

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."

About this edition

• Publisher: Viking Childrens Books
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0142423432
• ISBN 13: 9780142423431
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 80
• Illustrator: Blake Quentin