Fantastic Mr Fox [Paperback]

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) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

* The audio titles read by Roald Dahl himself have been solid backlist titles for over a decade now. Of historical archive interest, as well as being modern classics in their own right, these should provide a real audio backlist boost. * Roald Dahl and Collins brand strengthened via vibrant new look for the twenty-first century. * Narrated by Roald Dahl, who tells his own stories in his own inimitable way. * Five titles available. * Unabridged. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Boggis, Bunce and Bean are the meanest three farmers you could meet. They are determined to get Mr Fox - but he has other plans! This edition has a great new Quentin Blake cover and new author biography.

Roald Dahl, the best-loved of children's writers, was born in Wales of Norwegian parents. After school in England he went to work for Shell in Africa. He began to write after "a monumental bash on the head", sustained as an RAF pilot in World War II. Roald Dahl died in 1990.