A foxy tale (or should that be tail?) of two devious dastardly reynards and three rather smart chickens, "The Baddies' Goodies" is a lovely book that starts off (as all great books do) with a map. Familiarising yourself with their world helps lead you into the story of how the two devious foxes, Darkus and Sly. They like nothing better than a spot of burglary, but one night when their stomachs are rumbling too loudly to ignore, Darkus and Sly steal three chickens from the farmer.
Stashing them along with their ill-gotten gains, Darkus and Sly retire for a snooze, readying themselves for a lovely roast chicken meal later on.
The three chickens have other ideas though. With some clever quick-wittedness, they manage to play the two hopeless foxes off against each other in a race to stay alive.
Do they succeed (or do they merely suck seed? OK no more puns!) - You will of course have to read the book to find out. Harking back to classic children's stories of yore, Angela McAllister and Sally Anne Lambert have created a tale that feels familiar, but has a few new twists and turns of its own.
Charlotte's best bit: How the chickens initially manage to convince the foxes there are better things in life than roast chicken dinners.
Daddy's favourite bit: Some lovely painted artwork wrapped around a tale that feels traditional and interesting.