Aaron Blabey, Episode One (The Bad Guys #1), Scholastic Australia, 1 July 2015, 144pp., $9.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760150426
This graphic novel for primary school children, by the always entertaining Aaron Blabey, is an absolute joy to read. Mr Wolf – dressed Reservoir Dogs style in a nod to gangster villains – wants you to know that even though he occasionally dresses like an old lady, it does not mean that he’s always a ‘bad guy’. He’s just misunderstood. Just like Mr Snake and Mr Piranha, who submit their rap sheets for the reader to peruse, but set out to show that they are really good guys, by cruising around in a souped up V8 with Mr Shark, saving cats from trees and releasing dogs from the pound. The satire in this book is spot on, and even though much of the sophisticated humour went over my four year old’s head, she still laughed at the dead pan delivery of the characters, the glum looking Bolivian piranha, and the fluff jokes. I laughed at it all. Refreshing and fun, this one is highly recommended.
Reviewed by Angie Holst
