NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE! "I wish I'd had these books as a kid. Hilarious!" -- Dav Pilkey, creator of Captain Underpants and Dog Man This New York Times bestselling illustrated series is perfect for fans of Dog Man and Captain Underpants. They sound like bad guys, they look like bad guys . . . and they even smell like bad guys. But Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark are about to change all of that... Mr. Wolf has a daring plan for the Bad Guys' first good mission. They are going to break two hundred dogs out of the Maximum Security City Dog Pound. Will Operation Dog Pound go smoothly? Will the Bad Guys become the Good Guys? And will Mr. Snake please stop swallowing Mr. Piranha?! Accelerated Reading Level 2.1 Gr 2–4—Be prepared to hear laughter, and lots of it, as students plunge into this graphic novel hybrid. The story opens with Mr. Wolf speaking directly to the audience. Despite his "big, pointy teeth," his "razor-sharp claws," and his suspicious rap sheet filled with familiar "Three Little Pigs" and "Little Red Riding Hood" references, he implores readers to believe he is not a bad guy. Mr. Wolf is on a quest to persuade his carnivorous friends to be part of the Good Guys Club. Their first mission is to rescue a cat from a tree, and even though his friends think Mr. Wolf has lost his mind, they agree to help. Illustrations exaggerate the animals' sharp teeth and wide smiles as they stare up at the terrified kitty. After a few bumps in the plan (namely, Mr. Snake eating Mr. Piranha), an accidental success ensues and they move on to their grand plan of freeing 200 dogs from the pound. Expressive illustrations and typography will captivate budding readers' attention and aid in comprehension. Witty and slapstick humor coupled with menacing animal faces on a bright orange cover ensures this book will appeal to a wide audience. VERDICT Reminiscent of Aaron Reynolds's Carnivores and Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, this humorous title is highly recommended for all libraries.—Beth Parmer, New Albany Elementary Library, OH Praise for The Bad Guys : * "[T]his book instantly joins the classic ranks of Captain Underpants and The Stinky Cheese Man . We challenge anyone to read this and keep a straight face." -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review The Bad Guys. They're scary and dangerous and well...just bad. But these guys want to be heroes. And they're going to prove it by breaking every last dog out of the pound. The Bad Guys are ready to do some good...whether you want them to or not! Aaron Blabey has written many well-loved, bestselling books for children. He is the creator of three hugely successful series for children -- the New York Times bestselling The Bad Guys, Pig the Pug, and Thelma the Unicorn. The Bad Guys movie released in 2022. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation with Aaron serving as an executive producer on the project.