2020
WISE Score
Amazon
A high-stakes animal heist where the hero is a genius and the villains are three hilariously disgusting farmers.
4.6
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Roald Dahl doesn't do 'nice'—he does 'clever,' and that's why kids still love him. This isn't some sanitized fable; it’s a survival story with high stakes and a hero who literally loses a tail to a shotgun in the first few pages.
It’s short enough to smash through in a few bedtimes, and it’s one of those rare books where the animals actually feel like they have something to lose. If your kid thinks reading is boring, hand them this. It’s punchy, funny, and just mean enough to be interesting.
Great for 5-year-olds as a read-aloud and perfect for 7- to 10-year-olds to tackle on their own. It's a classic that doesn't feel 'old' because the pacing is so tight.
At its heart, it's about a father protecting his family and a community of animals coming together. It's not 'perfectly clean'—there's some cider-drinking and stealing—but the emotional core of loyalty and teamwork is rock solid.
The underground tunnel systems and the elaborate heist-like nature of the animals' survival are classic Dahl. It encourages kids to look at the world beneath their feet with a lot more curiosity.
The farmers are genuinely mean and use shotguns, which might startle very sensitive kids. Mr. Fox loses his tail to a gunshot early on, but the violence is presented in a cartoonish, 'mean vs. clever' way rather than anything graphic.
Dahl’s vocabulary is excellent for building language skills without being dry. It also opens up great ethical questions about whether it's okay to steal from someone who is actively trying to kill you.
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