The Big Bad Fox by Benjamin Renner

I absolutely adore this book. I laughed out loud numerous times, but it's more than just a humorous graphic novel. It's full of all kinds of adventures and mishaps, but ultimately this is a book about love and family.

In the beginning Fox reminded me a bit of Wile E. Coyote from the Looney Tunes cartoons of my youth. That slightly slapstick humour wends it's way through the entire narrative, but there is also a tender sweetness that adds depth and richness to the melodramatic plot.

Fox is a failure at being a bad fox. No one takes him seriously; not even the animals, who, on his excursions to the farm, feel so sorry for him they send him home with baskets of turnips to eat. 

When Wolf comes up with a plan to steal some eggs to hatch and eat, Fox agrees with it. The problem is that it is Fox who ends up sitting on the eggs and looking after the chicks once they hatch. And once they imprint it isn't long before Fox becomes attached to the little chicks in return.

When Wolf decides it's time to eat the little birds, Fox has to save them no matter the danger he puts himself into.

These characters are brilliant. The bumbling Fox is sure to capture your heart. In the end he is prepared to do anything for those chicks. The images of him playing different games with them are just priceless. 

The secondary characters are equally delightful. Wolf is a truly dastardly character. The lazy guard dog is hilariously rendered. The hen is both motherly and militant.

These lovely watercolor illustrations are the icing on the cake. Here is a bit of a preview of the beginning of the book. 

A note at the end says it is being turned into an animated film. You won't want to miss either the book or the film!