Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Benjamin Renner has penned an enjoyable read with The Big Bad Fox. The premise is that the fox wishes to eat chicken for his next meal and be the terror of the farm. However, the hens are having nothing to do with that. In fact, at every opportunity they beat up the fox. So, the fox seeks advice from the wolf (who also wants to eat chicken!). What ensues is a hilarious attempt with the fox stealing three chicken eggs, keeping them warm until they hatch and then having a moral dilemma about eating the chicks – much to the chagrin of the wolf. In fact, the three chicks come to call the fox mommy.

I found the story to be one where not just a young reader would appreciate the humor but the more mature set would as well. Additionally, there are a couple of twists which make it endearing in that we get to witness the change of heart that the fox has.

Graphics were adequate, nothing spectacular but since the humour was more in the vein of slapstick, the graphics served the book well. In fact, at times it felt like I was watching an episode of The Road Runner Show – a cartoon that ran from 1966 – 1973. I kept thinking…poor fox… no matter how hard the fox tries, things just go haywire and turn around on him.

All in all, a fun read for readers of all ages. I recommend this book (in either English or French) for those who wish to laugh while reading, either by yourself or to your children. Or better yet, the children reading to you!

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

The Big Bad Fox was everything I thought it would be. I called the ending by the tenth page, but I also realized that it didn’t matter that I knew how it was going to end. What mattered was whether the story could still be good despite me knowing where it was going. I’m happy to say, that it was better than good, it was great.

I will admit that part of my interest in this story is due to my son. I’m always looking for stories for him to enjoy, be it now or when he’s older. Our theme for his nursery was “Foxes, ” and so when there’s a story about foxes, I go for it.

The story follows a fox. He’s the worst fox ever. He’s not intimidating and doesn’t seem to know how to capture chickens to eat. He’s so pathetic that the guard dog and other farm animals greet him and ask him not to make a mess. Why? Because if he does, he has to clean it up… and does. Eventually, the wolf comes up with a plan with the Fox; they’ll steal chicken eggs and grow them to be eaten. You can probably imagine what happens next in the story.

The Fox is a hilarious character, but only because he’s complimented by a variety of hilarious characters. All of the animals have distinct personalities and traits that define them and add to the story and the world. It’s not just the stereotypes that have been associated with the different species of animals throughout the ages either; if anything creator Benjamin Renner turns them upside down and redefines what can be done with semi-anthropomorphic stories.

The art is genius. Comics and graphic novels are typically all about the panels, the boxes the gutters that break up the story. Renner’s style is different as he opts for a more storybook feeling, but instead of panels, there are semi-completed panels. That’s the best way I can describe it at least. There are essentially invisible panels, but it gives the story a very different feel. The movement between images is amazing because it feels more natural in the way it fits with the story. That and it gives Renner the opportunity to have smaller panels that just focus on the character’s personality rather than a full and lush background to go with the image. That said, there’s not a lot of background images to the art, and yet it’s better for it. That’s extremely rare in comics, and it’s likely because there are not panel lines.

That’s not to say to say that Renner was incapable of backgrounds, rather the opposite. He knew less was more. The rest of his illustrations are iconic and memorable. His designs for the different species defines the entire look of the world. His line work is thick, but oozing personality. The coloring rustic and yet sharp. Even just the simple coloring of the ground can be taken as masterful in that it’s always just enough, but never too much.

The Big Bad Fox isn’t the next Watchmen or some other safe answer story that people feel comics should be, but it is a graphic novel for kids that is masterful in its craft. It’s also a story and the world that I want to visit far more often than the aforementioned comic. The Big Bad Fox is entertaining, beautiful and relatable in a way that other comics struggle with, making it one of the best I’ve read in ages.

This was an absolutely adorable graphic novel that could appeal to all ages. The characters are fun and quirky with humor that is clean and appropriate for children but there are bits that only adults could appreciate.

A REVIEW COPY WAS PROVIDED IN EXCHANGE FOR A FAIR AND HONEST REVIEW

Title: The Big Bad Fox
Author: Benjamin Renner
Release Date: June 20, 2017
Publisher: First Second
Review Spoilers: Moderate

The Big Bad Fox is a surprisingly touching story for a book about a fox raising baby chicks up so he can eat them. Translated from it’s original French, it’s a really fun book that reads more like a super long picture book than a graphic novel. Renner’s cute illustrations and clever storytelling make this a great book for families to read together. And it’s a great choice if you’re looking for a book to help young readers make that transition from picture books to comics.

But let’s get back to the whole eating the baby chicks thing.

The ‘Big Bad Fox’ from the title is not actually a particularly big or bad fox. In fact, he’s kind of pathetic and hasn’t managed to eat a chicken ever. He gets by with the help of some of his barnyard yard friends who get him vegetables now and again. But his buddy the wolf comes up with a much better idea. If the fox can’t catch an eat a chicken he needs to steal some eggs and raise those chicks into chickens himself. Great idea, right?

Yeah, sure.

Until the chicks hatch and basically fall in love with their foxy mother.

Because the chicks are too tiny to be much of a meal, the fox plans to keep them around until their older. But as they become more attached to him he starts to love them in return. In the end he has to decide what matters more to him: eating the chicks of keeping them safe.

Along the way we’re introduced to a host of quirky characters. There’s a dog at the farm who does almost everything he can to avoid actual work. When the fox steals a hen’s eggs, she ends up mobilizing the other chickens and training them to defend themselves. (Because they obviously can’t count on the dog.) The chick’s themselves have wonderful personalities. And all kinds of shenanigans arise when they insist on acting like foxes (like their ‘mom’) instead of chickens.

The Big Bad Fox definitely an entertaining read and though it may seem like a kid’s book, older readers will definitely enjoy it, too. The artwork is definitely cute and fits the story well — and the story itself is a lot of fun. It’s even been adapted into a film already in it’s native France. Le grand méchant renard et autres contes came out June 21, 2017 in France. And with any luck it’ll someday make it’s way Stateside! For now, though, enjoy reading Benjamin Renner’s The Big Bad Fox translation from First Second Books.

I like what Renner has achieved here visually. We've got a clear progression of the art and action without the benefit of panel lines. The softened margins might be harder for a very young reader to follow, but I rather liked it. The art style is very cartoony but with a great use of character design. Each character's body tells us a lot about his personality. And those facial expressions - Renner does amazing things with just a few lines. While the plot is fairly expected, the charm and humor more than make up for a lack of surprise. A great graphic novel for kids and parents to read together.

Initially thinking this was a picture book and attracted by the cover, I obtained a digital galley from the publisher. Much to my delight, it turned out to be a graphic novel, numbering about 200 pages. Our protagonist is a hapless fox who is seen as no threat at all by either hens or a lazy guard dog. Frustrated and hungry the fox joins forces with a wolf, agreeing to steal eggs and raise the chicks to a tasty size. But the chicks imprint on the fox and he becomes quite attached while they in turn come to believe they are foxes. Given how evil those hens are, this isn’t a bad thing. The plot is enjoyable as the fox struggles to resolve the situation, and schemes his way to a solution. There are some gently handled scenes of implied violence as the hens organize a collective defence, and one image of the wolf popping a bird into his mouth and eating it. Originally published in French, the book is brilliantly translated by Joe Johnson, with humour and slyness fully intact. The original illustrations by Renner are rendered in watercolour. They are small, with several to a page reading across in several rows, rather like comic book panels but unbordered. Both text and images read very naturally. The laugh-out-loud humour is easily appreciated by all ages, though the length makes it appropriate for independent readers. However, it could easily work as a bedtime or lap story with pre-reader over several days. Expect some award nominations for this delightful caper. My thanks to publisher First Second Books for the advance reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this graphic novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31145090

"Big Bad Fox" is adorable, heartwarming and absolutely hilarious. Poor Fox can't catch a break - no matter how many times he raids the farm, he always gets the crap beaten out of him by the hens. The Wolf convinces him to steal some eggs so that they can eat the chicks, but when the chicks hatch, they're convinced Fox is their mom. Hijinks ensue. Loved the watercolor style artwork and the overabundance of snark. Probably my new favorite graphic novel.

The fox is terrible at being an intimidating and terrifying carnivore, which is unfortunate because his appetite is insatiable. His frequent trips to the farm annoy the mother hen and prove the guard dog’s nonchalant laziness. The wolf suggests that fox stealthy steal some eggs and hatch them into plump and tasty meals. A first seemingly brilliant idea, the chicks hatch and assume fox is their momma. Reminiscent of Mother Bruce, fox raises the chicks, engaging in fantastical play such turnip tea parties and role-playing about the big bad fox. Predictably when dinnertime arrives, fox realizes that he loves his little chicks, and he must seek sanctuary at the farm since the wolf has his own plans for chicken dinner.

Comical and sweet, The Big Bad Fox is a juvenile graphic novel for second to fifth graders. Renner reinvigorates a classic tale and relies on muted watercolors, white backgrounds, and shaded illustrations that are as simple and funny as this tale. Perfect for reluctant readers, school-aged children can welcome wolf into their imaginations and families.

I would like to thank NetGalley and First Second Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Big Bad Fox by Benjamin Renner (First Second Books, 2017)

Although it was a cute concept, the book was rather long. I found it a bit hard to get through so I wouldn't recommend it for anyone under 12.

This graphic novel reminded me of the Wiley Coyote series. The fox in this story has the same kind of luck. No matter how hard he tries to get a chicken out of the barnyard for a meal, he ends up eating turnips instead. You actually start to feel sorry for him even if you don't want him eating the chickens...

First Second Books and Net Galley gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published June 20th.

The wolf gets shot at every time he tries to get in so he trains the fox in how to growl, act aggressively and fight for what he wants. The problem is that every time he does that, nobody cares. The chickens still beat him up! So the wolf comes up with another idea. Let's steal some eggs and raise the chicks until they are big enough for a snack. The fox manages that by leaving the hen with some small turnips. Then he finds out he has to hatch the eggs by sitting on them and keeping them warm. He's always screaming no, he won't do it. And he always ends up doing it.

Can you guess what happens next? The chicks call him Mommy. He tells them he's not, he's a big bad fox. They think he's joking. You won't believe what happens next.

This is a very cute book with precious water color illustrations and I know you'll end up rooting for the fox before you're done. He'll do anything to save his chicks!

Fox is a horrendously unsuccessful raider of the farm. To the extent that instead of stealing chickens he usually gets beat up by chickens and the other farm animals give him pity turnips as he hightails it out of there. Wolf can’t get anywhere near the farm because the dog actually goes after him (the dog ignores Fox). So Wolf gets the grand idea to have Fox steal some chicken eggs, raise them for a few months, and then they’ll split a meal of the tender chicks. The first part goes ok, Fox manages to get and hide the eggs from the farm residents. The second part also goes well, Fox hatches and raises the three chicks. But therein lies the problem to part three, Fox becomes a bit attached to the three chicks in the process. When Wolf tries to hold Fox to the deal things get interesting.

This was hilarious start to finish. From the way the farm animals treat the fox to Fox’s mothering adventures to the mother hen’s fox elimination training with the other chickens, it’s super fun and quite entertaining. So entertaining in fact, the hilarity should stand up to multiple re-readings. And the humor is such that it should appeal to anyone from 5 to 95. Definitely ordering multiple copies of this for our libraries.

(This will be posted on GoodReads May 20 and a variation on my blog also May 20.)

No one at the farm is afraid of fox, and he's getting REALLY hungry. He sure would like to get a chicken, but he gets chased off the farm every day. Desperate, he throws his lot in with the wolf. Together they hatch a plan for fox to steal some chicken eggs and raise them for dinner. The plan works—to a point.

Funny and often sarcastic dialogue carries the story with no need for additional narration. The illustrations are hilarious watercolor-enhanced drawings of the sad sack (à la Wile E. Coyote) Big Bad Fox, the deadpan wolf, an excitable mother chicken, and three darling chicks. Benjamin Renner creates a touching story of an uncommon family, parenthood, and unconditional love.

At 194 pages, this graphic novel will find its audience with reluctant readers, sensitive kids, comic book lovers, and humor fans.

My copy of The Big Bad Fox was provided by NetGalley.


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I could use so many words to describe this gem, but only one will suffice: adorable!!!

Adorable graphic novel about a fox who just wants to eat some chickens! He teams up with a wolf with a plan to steal eggs and then eat the chickens when they hatch. You can guess what happens once the chicks see the fox...
Follows the twists and turns as the fox has to figure out what to do with these here chicks!

Poor fox. He just can't seem to get it right. When he goes over to the farm he's expected, but not feared. No one is afraid of him, not the pig, not the rabbit, not the chickens. And the guard dog doesn't even work up a sweat about seeing him in the farmyard. Even help from the wolf doesn't work. Until the wolf helps him distract the farmyard dog so that the fox can steal some eggs. But then the wolf thinks that they should hatch the eggs to have something more substantial to eat. Too bad the chicks think that the fox is their mother.
A cute story that went on a bit long. I thought from the cover that this was a children's book but would put it at a slightly more advanced reader. The jokes/story went on a little long but this might be fun for a somewhat reluctant reader who would be able to understand the jokes and read the short snippets.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out June 20

This was seriously cute! If life can go wrong for the Big Bad Fox it does. His friend the Big Bad Wolf wants him to show some backbone and really play to his canine strengths, but the poor fox isn't cut out for being fierce - no matter how hard he tries. When he hungrily sets out to find himself a meal things do not go quite as planned for fox. In fact, he is in no way prepared for just how far off base his expectations will be.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud as I read this comical graphic novel. My 13 year old, interests piqued because of my constant giggling, decided mid-way through to read over my shoulder, and she too thoroughly enjoyed the humorous story and charming illustrations. The Big Bad Fox is a delightful book that is sure to put a smile on the face of whoever reads it, young or old. I highly recommend it!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and to NetGalley for giving me this advanced copy for review. It was really fun!