Recently while shopping for a new fan to keep my chickens more comfortable during these hot summer months, I found these books on display. I had to take a look!

The illustrations were fun, and when I saw one of the books in the series was titled “Mission Unpluckable,” I knew they would make excellent bedtime reading for my chickens (or perhaps summertime reading for your children or grandchildren). They ended up in my cart, and I couldn’t wait to show them to my chickens.

These books tell the adventures of Mr. Fox, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, and Mr. Shark who have all been labeled as “Bad Guys” but who want to do heroic deeds to prove they really are “Good Guys.” (What else can you do when people don’t understand you?)

While it’s not necessary to read the books in this series in order, it does help. Except for the first book, each starts with a recap of the previous book and end with a teaser for the following book.

We obviously had to start with “Mission Unpluckable.” (Some children can be very particular about reading books in a series in order. It’s not so important to chickens.) Here is what Gracie and the others thought.

“I’ve never really cared much about foxes or snakes because I’ve seen them in our own backyard. They are dangerous guys. After hearing these stories, I have a better understanding of them. They may not be as bad as what I had imagined them to be…but I’m not letting them in our home!” – Gracie

“I was a little nervous when the snake started drooling when he was thinking about chickens, but I clucked for joy when Mr. Fox said, ‘It’s time to save the chickens!’ That kept me on the edge of my perch the whole time! Sunnyside Chicken Farm is a scary place.” – Bessie

“The jokes were absolutely wonderful! Hilarious and funny! Their comedic timing was perfect! Any of those Bad Guys would make a great addition to my next Comedy Coop extravaganza! Mr. Shark is my favorite because he likes to wear disguises. I couldn’t stop laughing!” – Pearl

“The illustrations were great, and I may just get out my crayons and color them in!” – Emily

“The Bad Guys are truly sharp dressers. The black suits and ties are perfect, and when they are wearing their sunglasses, you just can’t get much cooler than that. We can all sleep better knowing these heroes are out there protecting us.” – Amelia

The price on the back of each book was $5.99 which isn’t bad considering there are a lot of pages. (It feels like a bigger book than what it really is, so for some children that could be important if they look at number of pages and thickness.) The books fall somewhere between a comic book and a chapter book.

While intended for children ages 7 to 10, I enjoyed reading them too! Reading aloud to Gracie and the others was fun because I got to act out the different voices and the change in font size and style gave me clues on how to read like the different characters.

These books by Aaron Blabey are available through Barnes & Noble, but I bought them from our local Target store. If you’re having a Fourth of July cookout with children, these would make a great gift for summertime reading!

Just so you know, “My Life With Gracie” isn’t getting anything from sharing this book series with you. We don’t collect anything if you click the link here. Some websites work that way, but for us, it’s about reading. Children (and chickens) need to read and be read to, whether it’s what we write or not!