TL;DR: The Bad Guys is a high-octane, graphic novel series featuring a crew of scary animals trying to do good deeds. Think Ocean’s Eleven meets Captain Underpants. It’s the ultimate "gateway drug" for reluctant readers (ages 7-10) because it’s 90% illustrations and 10% fart jokes, but it actually has a decent heart.
Quick Links:
- The Original Series: The Bad Guys (Books)
- The Big Screen Version: The Bad Guys (Movie)
- The Spinoff Special: The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday
- If they liked this, try: Dog Man or InvestiGators
If you’ve walked into a Scholastic Book Fair or a suburban living room in the last five years, you’ve seen the covers. They’re bold, they’re black-and-white, and they feature a wolf in a suave white suit.
Maybe you’ve seen your kid huddled over one, actually laughing—which is a rare sight if they usually treat reading like a chore involving manual labor.
The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey has become a juggernaut in the "transitional reader" space. But as a parent, you might be wondering: Is this actually a book, or is it just a printed version of the "brain rot" they’re watching on YouTube? Is there any nutritional value here, or is it just the literary equivalent of a Flamin' Hot Cheeto?
Let’s break down why these animals are taking over your kid’s bookshelf.
The premise is simple: Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark are tired of being the villains in every story. They’re tired of people screaming and running away. So, Mr. Wolf decides to form a "Good Guys Club."
The problem? They are biologically wired to be terrifying. Mr. Snake wants to eat the shelter kittens they’re supposed to be rescuing. Mr. Shark’s "disguises" usually involve him just putting on a dress and hoping no one notices he’s a two-ton apex predator.
The books follow their heist-style missions to do "good," which usually end in absolute chaos, explosions, and—yes—a significant amount of flatulence-based humor.
If you’re an intentional parent, you might look at a page of The Bad Guys and feel a little cheated. There are maybe 30 words on some pages. It looks like a storyboard for a cartoon.
But here’s the thing: for a kid who struggles with literacy or just finds big blocks of text intimidating, this format is a godsend.
- Visual Pacing: The action moves fast. Kids who are used to the dopamine hits of Roblox or TikTok find the pacing of these books familiar. They can finish a book in one sitting, which gives them a massive "I am a reader" confidence boost.
- The "Forbidden" Vibe: The humor is irreverent. It’s "butt" jokes and "gross-out" gags. To a 7-year-old, this feels like they’re getting away with something. It’s the same energy as Dog Man.
- The Anti-Hero Trope: Kids are smart. They know that "perfect" heroes are boring. They relate to characters who try to be good but occasionally mess up or get grumpy. It’s a much more realistic reflection of their own lives than a perfect moral fable.
In 2022, DreamWorks released the The Bad Guys movie, and honestly? It’s one of the better animated films of the last decade. It’s got a heavy Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse visual influence and a soundtrack that goes way harder than it needs to.
If your kid started with the movie, the books might feel a little "lower budget" because they are black and white and much more focused on slapstick than the high-gloss heist vibe of the film. However, the movie actually does a great job of expanding on the characters, especially Ms. Tarantula (voiced by Awkwafina), who becomes a much bigger deal in the cinematic universe.
Check out our guide on whether the movie is too scary for toddlers
While the publisher says ages 7-10, let’s get real about the nuances:
- Ages 5-6: They’ll love the pictures, but some of the sarcasm and "heist" plot points might go over their heads. It’s a fun read-aloud, but be prepared to explain why the snake is trying to swallow a bird.
- Ages 7-9: This is the "sweet spot." This is the age where they’re transitioning from Elephant & Piggie to actual chapter books.
- Ages 10+: They might find it a bit "babyish" unless they are already fans of the series, though many older kids still find the humor funny as a "palate cleanser" between harder school reads.
Safety Considerations: The "Potty Humor" Factor
There is no "bad" language in the traditional sense. You won't find any F-bombs here. However, if your family has a strict "no fart jokes" policy, you’re going to hate these books. Mr. Piranha’s entire character arc is basically built on his digestive issues. It’s juvenile, but it’s harmless.
I hear this a lot at pickup: "Is my kid actually reading if they’re just looking at pictures?"
The answer is a resounding yes.
Graphic novels like The Bad Guys or Wings of Fire (Graphic Novels) require "multimodal literacy." Your kid is decoding text while simultaneously interpreting visual cues, facial expressions, and spatial relationships on the page. In a world dominated by visual media, this is actually a vital skill.
Don’t discourage the "junk food" reading. If they’re reading The Bad Guys, they aren’t on YouTube. That’s a win in any parent’s book.
If your kid has burned through all 20+ books in the series, here’s where to point them next so they don’t end up back on a Skibidi Toilet rabbit hole:
The gold standard of "kids-who-don't-like-books" books. It’s chaotic, it’s funny, and it’s written from the perspective of two kids making their own comic.
A bit more "punny" and wordy than The Bad Guys, but follows a similar buddy-cop/spy format with two alligators who solve crimes using "V.E.S.T.s."
For the kid who wants a bit more "action-adventure." It’s a zombie apocalypse, but for middle-grade kids. It has more text than The Bad Guys, making it a great "step up."
This is actually a great "educational" pivot because it teaches kids how to make their own comics. It’s meta, it’s creative, and it encourages them to go from consumer to creator.
The Bad Guys isn't Shakespeare. It isn't even Harry Potter. But it is a hilarious, engaging, and genuinely clever series that turns "bad" animals into relatable heroes.
It teaches that your reputation doesn't have to define you, and that even the "scariest" person in the room might just want a friend (and maybe a burrito).
If it gets your kid to put down the iPad and laugh at a physical book for thirty minutes, it’s worth every penny.
Next Steps:
- Grab the first three books as a "starter pack"—they usually come in a boxed set.
- Watch the The Bad Guys movie on a Friday family movie night to see the characters in action.
- Ask our chatbot for more graphic novel recommendations based on your kid's age
