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WORK TITLE: PIG THE REBEL
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WEBSITE: http://www.aaronblabeybooks.com/
CITY: Sydney
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COUNTRY: Australia
NATIONALITY: Australian
LAST VOLUME: SATA 351
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Blabey; http://trevorcairney.blogspot.com/2008/08/author-focus-aaron-blabey.html
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1975, in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia; father a bank manager; married (2000-22); wife’s name Kirstie Hutton; children: two sons.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Actor, artist, and author of books for children. Actor in films, including Mullet, The Human Touch, Erskineville Kings, Mr Reliable, and Turning April; actor in television, including G.P., 1989, The Damnation of Harvey McHugh, 1995, Medivac, 1996, Water Rats, 1997-99, Stingers, 1999, CrashBurn, 2003, and MDA, 2005; actor in stage productions of Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company. Presenter at schools and libraries.
AWARDS:Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama Award, Australian Film Institute Award, 1995, for The Damnation of Harvey McHugh; Best Performance in a Guest Role in a Television Drama Series nomination, Australian Film Institute, 2000, for Stingers; Patricia Wrightson Award shortlist, New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards, Crichton Award for New Illustrators, Smithsonian magazine Notable Book designation, and Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Award in Early Childhood category, all 2008, all for Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley; Australian Book Industry Award shortlist in Young Children’s category and CBCA Book of the Year shortlist in Picture Book category, both 2009, both for Sunday Chutney; CBCA Notable Book in Picture Book category, 2010, for Stanley Paste; CBCA Notable Book in Picture Book category and White Raven Award, International Youth Library, both 2012, and Patricia Wrightson Award, New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards and Children’s Peace Literature Award, both 2013, all for The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon; elected National Literacy Ambassador, 2012; National Simultaneous Storytime selection, 2015, for The Brothers Quibble; nine REAL awards; Indie Book Award for Children’s Book of the Year; two Australian Book Design Awards.
WRITINGS
Author’s work has been translated into several languages, including Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Turkish, and Spanish. The Bad Guys was adapted as an animated film by DreamWorks Animation, 2019, with Blabey as executive producer.
SIDELIGHTS
Aaron Blabey was a successful film and television actor until the birth of his first son, when he shifted his creative focus to picture books. The winner of numerous book awards in his native Australia, Blabey has created dozens of self-illustrated rhyming stories. Beginning with Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, his works include The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon, Don’t Call Me Bear!, and I Need a Hug, the last described by a Kirkus Reviews writer as a “fable about tolerance” that employs “exquisite comic timing” within “a tremendously moving story.” Blabey’s popular self-illustrated “The Bad Guys” series was adapted as an animated film, and in 2012 he served as Australia’s National Literacy Ambassador. He is also the author of the “Pig the Pug” series.
Blabey’s decision to leave acting likely came as something of a relief; although he enjoyed drawing and painting while growing up, he defaulted to pursuing a career in acting because he was intimidated by the talent exhibited by other artists his age. In his children’s books, he highlights problems such as a lack of confidence, which is common to many young children. Finding the humor in difficult situations, he then shapes a story. As Blabey explained to a Creative Kids Tales interviewer, while crafting his picture-book scripts, he will sometimes “often walk for several days just feeling the rhythm of the meter and typing lines into my phone, trying not to control it too much.” “The pictures are in my head,” he added, “and, generally, I’ve learnt to trust that they’ll spill out onto a page when I need them too.”
Focusing on two very different people who ultimately become friends, Blabey’s first picture book, Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, introduces spunky, loud-voiced Pearl and quiet Charlie. As their gentle story plays out in both text and mixed-media illustrations, readers share Pearl and Charlie’s growing realization that their differences make their friendship even stronger. Reviewing the book in School Library Journal, Blair Christolon recommended Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley as a good choice “for friendship-themed storytime” on the strength of its “painterly” and textured art. A Kirkus Reviews writer also took note of the “spirited and energetic paintings,” which alternate between black-and-white images and multicolored spreads. “A friendship of opposites receives splendid visual treatment” the critic concluded in praise of Blabey’s picture-book debut.
In Sunday Chutney, Blabey focuses his picture-book story on a common concern of young children: being the new kid at school. Because her family frequently relocates due to her father’s job, young Sunday is often forced to deal with being the “new girl.” She deals with this position positively, tapping her imagination and embracing rather than bemoaning change. In Publishers Weekly a reviewer called Blabey’s story “a fine character study of an effervescent girl” who has accepted her status as being “different,” and a Kirkus Reviews writer cited its “clear” illustrations with their “soft, solid, comforting backgrounds.” According to School Library Journal critic Lisa Egly in Sunday Chutney, Blabey presents his young audience with a “charming glimpse of childhood resilience and ambivalence.”
Blabey creates an unusual picture-book hero in Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas, which introduces a toothsome young fish named Brian. Although all his piranha friends are carnivorous and prefer nibbling on tender toes, Brian enthusiastically touts the benefits of fruits and vegetables, ultimately winning them over. Paired with colorful illustrations featuring “green, bug-eyed fish,” the text “hits all the right notes of absurdity,” according to a writer in Publishers Weekly. There is a strong dose of “sass” in Blabey’s tale, asserted a Kirkus Reviews critic, and it helps make Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas “a wonderfully silly story about being true to yourself.”
Another self-illustrated rhyming picture book, Don’t Call Me Bear! is Blabey’s effort to clarify a common misperception: that koalas are members of the bear family. Warren, a koala living in Australia, is assertive in informing readers that he is actually a marsupial, and as he travels to various bear habitats to point out actual bears (grizzlies, brown bears, polar bears, etc.), he points out the stories, signs, and other objects that perpetuate the koala-as-cuddly-bear myth. Noting the humor in Warren’s overdramatized concerns, Tanya Boudreau wrote in Resource Links that Don’t Call Me Bear! mixes a humorous text with brightly colored art while highlighting “the importance of using the proper name for things.” A Kirkus Reviews critic cited Warren’s humorous Aussie vocabulary and the sly contrast between his patient explanations and the accompanying cartoon illustrations. Writing that Don’t Call Me Bear! will reward “observant viewers,” the critic dubbed the Australian-themed picture book “modestly informational and totally fun.”
In Blabey’s popular “Pig the Pug” series readers meet a bad-mannered pug named Pig who demands that life go his way. In Pig the Pug, the bug-eyed canine character refuses to allow Trevor, a dachshund that shares his home, to play with any of his huge stash of toys. In Pig the Winner, the contemptuous Pig is determined to best Trevor in a speed-eating contest, and the best way to win is to start well before his log-bodied adversary. Pig the Elf finds the pug so ill-tempered that he even assaults Santa Claus during his rounds on Christmas Eve, while in Pig the Stinker the pugnacious pup does his best to smell like rotten garbage, then thwarts all attempts his owner makes to bathe him.
According to Nicole Rowlinson in her appraisal of the first “Pig the Pug” story in Resource Links, Blabey’s “hilarious romp will tickle the funny bone of kids of all ages.” Reviewing several of the early “Pig the Pug” stories, Boudreau exclaimed in a review in Resource Links that the humorous series benefits from “magical writing.” Designed to “teach … by setting a bad example,” Pig the Stinker will appeal to current series fans, predicted a Kirkus Reviews critic, while “the … frequent mentions of things potty-related will recruit new [ones].”
[open new]
The greedy little Pig the Pug is back in Pig the Elf. Christmas only brings out Pig’s selfish tendencies when he refuses to go to sleep on Christmas Eve and waits for Santa to arrive. When Santa visits, Pig complains that his pile of presents isn’t big enough and he bites onto Santa’s round bottom and is carried onto Santa’s sleigh. When the reindeer take off in the sleigh, Pig falls through the air and is rescued by an angel on top of a Christmas tree. “This a fun way to convey the message that greed is bad,” according to School Library Journal reviewer Linda Israelson.
Pig returns in Pig the Fibber when he tell lies until he gets what he wants. Whenever he causes trouble, he always points to dachshund Trevor as the culprit, until he goes too far stealing treats from the back of the closet, blaming Trevor, and the wiener dog is thrown out of the house. But Pig gets his comeuppance when a bowling ball is involved. Rachel Forbes remarked in School Library Journal: “The rhyme scheme is clever and measured, and the space and page turns always aid the comedic timing.”
Blabey begins the 18-book “The Bad Guys” graphic novel series that was made into a major motion picture. The first 2016 issue, The Bad Guys, has Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark tired of being bad guys just because they have sharp teeth, look scary, and smell bad. Always the bad guy in fairy tales like Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs, Mr. Wolf is on a mission to prove that he and his friend belong in the Good Guys Club. First, they try to rescue a kitten from a tree, but the kitty is scared of their big teeth. Then they try to release 200 dogs from the Maximum Security City Dog Pound, with hilarious results. The slapstick humor and the “menacing animal faces on a bright orange cover ensures this book will appeal to a wide audience,” according to Beth Palmer in School Library Journal.
In the follow-up The Bad Guys in Mission Unpluckable, the group decides to rescue 10,000 chickens from a high-tech factory farm, however, not only are they challenged by the security system, laser beams, and wall sensors, but also their own members in the group, as Mr. Snake would rather eat the chickens than save them, and Mr. Shark is creeped out by a tarantula who joins the team. Beth Palmer remarked in School Library Journal: “Blabey continues to charm a wide age range of readers with uproarious storytelling and artwork.”
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BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, November 1, 2016, Edie Ching, review of Pig the Pug, p. 68.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, November, 2008, review of Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, p. 111.
Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2008, review of Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley; August 15, 2009, review of Sunday Chutney; September 15, 2016, review of Pig the Pug; October 1, 2016, review of The Bad Guys; December 15, 2016, review of The Bad Guys in … Mission Unpluckable; April 1, 2017, review of Pig the Winner; September 1, 2017, review of Pig the Elf; October 15, 2018, review of I Need a Hug; January 15, 2019, review of Pig the Stinker; April 15, 2019, review of Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas; June 15, 2019, review of Don’t Call Me Bear!
Publishers Weekly, August 31, 2009, review of Sunday Chutney, p. 58; October 10, 2016, review of Pig the Pug, p. 77; May 20, 2019, review of Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas, p. 80.
Resource Links, June, 2015, Nicole Rowlinson, review of Pig the Pug, p. 2; April, 2016, Tanya Boudreau, review of Pig the Fibber, p. 1; October, 2016, Tanya Boudreau, reviews of Thelma the Unicorn and Pig the Winner, both p. 2; February, 2017, Anne Letain, review of I Need a Hug, p. 4; December, 2018, Tanya Boudreau, review of Don’t Call Me Bear!, p. 1.
School Library Journal, September, 2008, Blair Christolon, review of Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, p. 138; September, 2009, Lisa Egly, review of Sunday Chutney, p. 116; November, 2016, Mahnaz Dar, review of Pig the Pug, p. 67; November, 2016, Beth Parmer, review of The Bad Guys, p. 82; January, 2017, Beth Parmer, review of The Bad Guys in … Mission Unpluckable, p. 80; January 2017, Beth Parmer, review of The Bad Guys in Mission Unpluckable; October 2017, Lina Israelson, review of Pig the Elf, p. 62; August 2018, Rachel Forbes, review of Pig the Fibber, p. 57.
Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), June 11, 2016, Michael Evans, “How Author Aaron Blabey Found Happiness through Greedy and Selfish Pig the Pug.”
USA Today, August 20, 2009, Bob Minzeheimer, review of Sunday Chutney, p. D7.
ONLINE
Aaron Blabey website, http://www.aaronblabeybooks.com (July 31, 2019).
Aussie Reviews, http://aussiereviews.com/ (July 13, 2015), Sally Murphy, review of Thelma the Unicorn.
Box for Monkeys, https://boxformonkeys.com/ (June 2, 2016), author interview.
Courier Mail (Queensland, Australia), http://www.news.com.au/ (August 9, 2008), Fiona Purdon, review of Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley.
Creative Kids Tales website, https://www.creativekidstales.com.au/ (November 23, 2016), author interview.
Penguin Books Australia website, http://www.penguin.com.au/ (December 6, 2017), “Aaron Blabey.”
Reading Time website, http://readingtime.com.au/ (July 19, 2015), Sharon Seymour, review of Pig the Fibber; (November 23, 2016) Liz Anelli, review of Pig the Elf.*
School Library Journal, https://www.slj.com/ (January 2017), Beth Palmer, review of The Bad Guys.
Aaron Blabey
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Aaron Blabey
Born 1 January 1974 (age 48)
Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Nationality Australian
Occupation
Children's authorexecutive producerillustratorartistdesigneractor
Years active 1989–2005 (actor)
2006–present (children's author)
Spouse Kirstie Hutton (married 2000–22)
Website aaronblabey.com
Aaron Blabey (born January 1, 1974) is an Australian author of children's books.
He is the creator of three best-selling children's series; Pig the Pug – a picture book series about a rude, selfish, mean-spirited little dog, The Bad Guys – a New York Times #1 bestselling graphic novel series for junior readers about a gang of scary-looking animals trying to change their bad reputations and Thelma the Unicorn – a second picture book series about a plain little pony who pretends to be a unicorn.
As of December 2022, Blabey has around 35 million books in print and his books have spent over 120 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List. The Bad Guys first reached #1 on the list on July 3 2019.
On April 22, 2022, an animated movie adaptation of The Bad Guys from DreamWorks Animation starring Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson and Anthony Ramos premiered in the United States. Blabey served as an executive producer on the movie with Patrick Hughes and Etan Cohen. The movie opened at #1 at the U.S Box Office and was the second-highest-grossing animated film of 2022.
In May 2019, it was announced that Netflix are developing a movie-musical adaptation of Thelma the Unicorn with Blabey again serving as executive producer.
Until 2005, Blabey was also an actor. In the field of acting, he is probably best known for his lead roles in two television dramedies, 1994's The Damnation of Harvey McHugh, for which he won an Australian Film Institute Award, and 2003's CrashBurn,[1] before retiring from performance in 2005.
Contents
1 Personal life
2 Career
2.1 Acting
2.2 Art
2.3 Early picture books
2.4 Pig the Pug, Thelma the Unicorn and Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas
2.5 The Bad Guys
2.6 Cat On The Run
2.7 Art direction
3 Honors and awards
4 List of works
5 Filmography
6 References
7 External links
Personal life
Aaron Blabey was born on January 1, 1974, in Bendigo, Australia.[2] He married the actress and speech pathologist Kirstie Hutton in April 2000. The couple separated amicably in May 2022. They have two sons.
Blabey supports The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, who work to protect children from violence.[3]
Career
Acting
Blabey appeared in various television and film roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s and took part in several theatrical productions.[4]
Besides his 1994 award for acting in a lead role, the Australian Film Institute also nominated him in 2000 for his guest-starring role in the series Stingers.
Art
From the mid-2000s, Blabey turned his attention away from acting and towards painting and created six separate solo exhibitions across Australia between 2004 and 2006.[5]
Early picture books
Then in 2006, Blabey turned his focus entirely to the creation of children's picture books. The first of these, Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, was published in July 2007. In 2008, the book received a Children's Book Council of Australia Award in the council's Early Childhood category.[6] The book was also shortlisted for the CBCA's Crichton Award (given to new illustrators), The NSW Premier's Literature Awards – The Patricia Wrightson Award, and the Children's Peace Literature Award. In 2008, the book was also included on the Notable Book list from the Smithsonian Institution.[7]
His second book, Sunday Chutney, was published in 2008 and shortlisted for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year 2009[8] and the Australian Book Industry Awards 2009.
His third book, Stanley Paste, was a CBCA Notable Book in the Picture Book category in 2010[9] as was The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon in 2012, which was also selected as a prestigious White Raven of 2012 by the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany. The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon also won the Patricia Wrightson Award in 2013 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards and the 2013 Children's Peace Literature Award.[10] In early 2014, Nick Cave selected The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon to record for the Story Box Library website.
His fifth book, The Dreadful Fluff won the Best Designed Children's Cover of the Year by the Australian Publishers Association in 2013,[11] which also saw the release of his critically acclaimed sixth title, Noah Dreary.
This was followed by a picture book for adults entitled Babies Don't Suck – a guide for expectant new fathers.
Blabey's seventh children’s book, The Brothers Quibble, which deals with sibling rivalry, was chosen as the National Simultaneous Storytime Book of 2015, and was read by over 500,000 children on 27 May 2015.
Pig the Pug, Thelma the Unicorn and Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas
In 2014 Blabey signed a three-book deal with Scholastic Australia beginning with Pig the Pug, a humorous picture book about a rude, selfish, mean-spirited dog (pug), who always gets into arguments and even fights with his rival playmate, the friendly, polite-mannered, good-hearted Trevor (dachshund). The book was an immediate hit in Australia and has since been translated into many languages and published around the world. It spawned a series of Pig books including Pig the Fibber (2015), Pig the Winner (2016), Pig the Elf (2016), Pig the Star (2017), Pig the Grub (2018), Pig the Tourist (2019), Pig the Slob (Blob) (2020), Pig the Monster (2021) and the final instalment Pig the Rebel (2022).
The Pig books have sold millions of copies around the world, predominantly in the USA and Australia.
The second book released from his initial three-book-deal was Thelma the Unicorn. This picture book – about a plain little pony who dreams of becoming a unicorn – has also become a bestseller. In combination with its sequel The Return of Thelma the Unicorn, it has sold millions of copies as well.
In June 2019, it was announced that Netflix is developing an animated musical movie adaptation of Thelma the Unicorn, to be directed by Jared Hess and Lynn Wang with animation provided by Mikros Image Montreal. Blabey will serve as an executive producer on the project.[12]
The Bad Guys
2015 also saw the release of the first two instalments of Blabey's best-selling graphic novel series for junior readers, The Bad Guys. The humorous series follows the adventures of a gang of scary-looking, dangerous animals – Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark and Mr. Piranha – who attempt to change their bad reputations by performing good deeds.
In January 2018, The Bad Guys hit The New York Times Best Seller list (Children's Series) and have since remained there for many weeks. After 36 weeks on the list, The Bad Guys finally reached the number one spot on July 3 2019.
As of December 2022, there are over 25 million Bad Guys books in print around the world and the series has spent over 120 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List.
On March 9, 2018, it was announced that an animated feature film adaptation of The Bad Guys was in development at DreamWorks Animation – with a screenplay by Etan Cohen. On October 17, 2019, the project went into production with a scheduled release date September 17, 2021. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the release date was pushed back to April 22, 2022. The movie is directed by animator Pierre Perifel in his feature directorial debut and produced by Damon Ross and Rebecca Huntley and written by Etan Cohen and Hillary Winston. Blabey serves as an executive producer on the project with Etan Cohen and Patrick Hughes. It stars Sam Rockwell (Mr. Wolf), Awkwafina (Ms. Tarantula), Marc Maron (Mr. Snake), Craig Robinson (Mr. Shark) and Anthony Ramos (Mr. Piranha).
Whilst promoting the movie in Los Angeles in April 2022, Blabey appeared on Marc Maron’s podcast WTF and discussed his journey to that point with Maron who played Mr Snake in the film.
Cat On The Run
On January 2022, about 3 months before the release of the film adaptation of The Bad Guys, Blabey announced that a new book called Cat on The Run is in development and slated to be released in 2023. The book takes place in the same universe as The Bad Guys and the story will feature the world’s #1 cat video star trying to prove her innocence after she was framed for a crime she didn’t commit.
Art direction
Blabey has also worked as a staff writer at a major advertising agency and spent two years as a lecturer at a prominent Sydney design college.
Honors and awards
1994, Australian Film Institute Award, Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama, The Damnation of Harvey McHugh, episode: "Spay Misty For Me."
2008, Children's Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood, Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley.
2012, White Ravens Award by the International Youth Library, The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon.
2012, National Literacy Ambassador[13]
2012 - 2015, Ambassador for The Alannah and Madeline Foundation.
2013, New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature, The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon.
2013, Best Designed Children's Cover of the Year by the Australian Publishers Association, The Dreadful Fluff.
2013, The Children's Peace Literature Award from the Australian Psychological Society – Psychologists For Peace, The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon.
2016, INDIE books award for Best Children's Book, The Bad Guys
List of works
Author and Illustrator
Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, Penguin Books, Australia, 2007.
Sunday Chutney, Penguin Books, Australia, 2008.
Stanley Paste, Penguin Books, Australia, 2009.
The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon, Penguin Books, Australia, 2011.
The Dreadful Fluff, Penguin Books, Australia, 2012.
Noah Dreary, Penguin Books, Australia, 2013.
The Brothers Quibble, Penguin Books, Australia, 2014.
Pig The Pug, Scholastic Australia, July 2014.
Babies Don't Suck, Pan Macmillan Australia, August 2014.
Thelma the Unicorn, Scholastic Australia, February 2015.
Pig the Fibber, Scholastic Australia, May 2015
The Bad Guys (Episode 1), Scholastic Australia, July 2015
Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas, Scholastic Australia, September 2015.
The Bad Guys (Episode 2 - Mission Unpluckable), Scholastic Australia, November 2015
I Need A Hug, Scholastic Australia, December 2015
Pig the Winner, Scholastic Australia, March 2016
The Bad Guys (Episode 3 - The Furball Strikes Back), Scholastic Australia, May 2016
Don't Call Me Bear, Scholastic Australia, June 2016
Pig the Elf, Scholastic Australia, October 2016
The Bad Guys (Episode 4 - Attack of the Zittens), Scholastic Australia, November 2016
Busting!, Scholastic Australia, February 2017
The Bad Guys (Episode 5 - Intergalactic Gas), Scholastic Australia, May 2017
Guff, Penguin Australia, August 2017
Pig the Star, Scholastic Australia, September 2017
The Bad Guys (Episode 6 - Alien Vs Bad Guys), Scholastic Australia, October 2017
The Bad Guys (Episode 7 - Do-You-Think-He-Saurus?), Scholastic Australia, May 2018
Pig the Grub, Scholastic Australia, September 2018
The Bad Guys (Episode 8 - Superbad), Scholastic Australia, October 2018
The Bad Guys (Episode 9 - The Big Bad Wolf), Scholastic Australia, May 2019
Pig the Tourist, Scholastic Australia, July 2019
The Return of Thelma the Unicorn, Scholastic Australia, October 2019
The Bad Guys (Episode 10 - The Baddest Day Ever), Scholastic Australia, October 2019
The Bad Guys (Episode 11 - Dawn of the Underlord), Scholastic Australia, May 2020
Pig the Slob (Blob), Scholastic Australia, September 2020
The Bad Guys (Episode 12 - The One?!), Scholastic Australia, October 2020
The Bad Guys (Episode 13 - Cut to the Chase), Scholastic Australia, May 2021
Pig the Monster, Scholastic Australia, July 2021
The Bad Guys (Episode 14 - They’re Bee-hind You!), Scholastic Australia, October 2021
The Bad Guys (Episode 15 - Open Wide and Say Arrrgh!), Scholastic Australia, July 2022
Pig the Rebel, Scholastic Australia, July 2022
The Bad Guys (Episode 16 - The Others?!), Scholastic Australia, October 2022
Filmography
Year Film Role Other notes
1989 G.P. Sean Television series
1993 Phoenix Television episode
1994 The Man from Snowy River Jimmy Wilks Television episode
Halifax f.p Tony Lobianco Television episode
The Damnation of Harvey McHugh Harvey McHugh Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama[14]
Blue Heelers Robbie Davies Television episode
1996 Turning April Leif
Twisted Tales Nick Television episode
Mr Reliable Bruce Morrison
1997 Fallen Angels Jim Phelps Television episode
Medivac Danny Haywood Television series
Wildside Warren Beckett Television series
Water Rats Gary Travis Television series
1998 Day of the Roses Dr White
Pentuphouse Dale
1999 Erskineville Kings Tunny
All Saints Scott Television episode
Water Rats Doug Porter Television series
2000 Stingers Michael Callum Nominated for Australian Film Institute Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Television Drama Series
Grass Roots Sandy Maxwell Television episode
2001 Mullet Terry
2003 CrashBurn Ben Harfield Television series
2004 Human Touch David
Through My Eyes: The Lindy Chamberlain Story Kirkham
2005 MDA Luke Rodman Television series
2006 The 9:13 Thunder
Author Aaron Blabey says ‘The Bad Guys’ movie is a ‘beautiful marriage of old and new material’
This Aaron Blabey interview asks one important question: What was it like for the author to see The Bad Guys come to life on screen?
Just within the last decade or so, DreamWorks has had plenty of hits on their hands, from How to Train Your Dragon to Kung Fu Panda and Trolls, and it seems like The Bad Guys might be joining them at the top.
You’ll hear no complaints from author and executive producer Aaron Blabey. Seeing his book series of the same name be turned into a film is a dream come true, and DreamWorks was the only studio he’d trust to get the job done.
We spoke with Blabey about his experience as an executive producer, what it was like watching someone else play around in his sandbox, and what other projects he’s got on the horizon.
Aaron Blabey interview for ‘The Bad Guys’
Once upon a time, you were an actor yourself. What was it like being on the other side of the table as an executive producer for The Bad Guys?
I can say without a trace of false modesty that I was a terrible actor, so being on the other side of the table is exactly where I needed to be. I started acting just because I love movies so deeply, and naively wanted to get inside them somehow, but I simply chose the wrong job. Creating the movies from scratch was what I was meant to be doing.
It can sometimes take years for books to be adapted for film or TV once the rights are sold. What was your experience like with The Bad Guys? Were there a lot of ups and downs?
It was a relatively smooth six-year journey. I was deeply protective of The Bad Guys, and when a number of Hollywood studios became interested, I was somewhat hesitant to hand the books over. The only studio I trusted with The Bad Guys was DreamWorks. They just got it. They got the tone. They understood what I’d created and knew how to expand upon it in a way that would preserve the spirit of the source material in the best possible way.
As an executive producer, what role did you predominantly take on during the development of this film?
I was across each draft of the script and each cut of the movie. I gave extensive notes each time and, to my delight, these were always considered and/or incorporated by Pierre and the team. They were utterly respectful and inclusive. I’m a very lucky author.
Adapting a book to film always comes with changes and differences from the source material. Were you particularly excited about any of those changes? Did any of them improve the story in an interesting way?
The movie is based very loosely on the first four books of the series, but I was always completely open to new story concepts because it’s an entirely different medium. Etan (our screenwriter) and the story team created a new Soderbergh-style heist plot, but to my astonishment, they also retained huge amounts of material from the books. It’s a beautiful marriage of old and new material, seamlessly blended. As long as the comedic tone and the character relationships were carefully preserved, I wasn’t fussy about story mechanics. The DreamWorks team is VERY good at what they do. I was never worried about that.
There’s a lot that goes into making an animated film, from character and background design to voice acting and music. What part of this process got you most excited?
All of it. I’m a movie fanatic. Being inside this process was a dream come true.
Enjoying our Aaron Blabey interview? Check out our other exclusive content.
There are a lot of big names in this film! Was there anyone you were particularly excited to have on board and work with?
Every single one of them. Is this not the coolest cast ever?
Is there one actor you’d love to work with in the future?
I try to see every movie that gets released. I eat, sleep and breathe movies, and I always have. Accordingly, the list of actors I’d like to work with would fill a very large book.
Your other series, Thelma the Unicorn, is also being adapted, this time for Netflix. Has that process differed from this one at all?
Again, I think being highly protective of your work yields good things. Once again, I was talking to multiple studios, but once I was introduced to the wonderful Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), I just fell in love with him. His exquisite sense of comedy was evident immediately, and he knows his music, too. Accordingly, when it came to creating a big animated musical of Thelma, Jared and his wife/co-creator Jerusha were a no-brainer. They were born to adapt Thelma.
What other projects do you have coming up that you can talk about?
I have a new, upcoming book series called Cat On The Run (about the world’s #1 Cat Video star being accused of a crime she didn’t commit and being forced to go on the run a la The Fugitive). It is already in development at a major studio (they haven’t announced yet, so I can’t say which), and I’m very excited about it. Meanwhile, Pig the Pug will ultimately be a TV show, but due to all the other projects, I’ve been holding him back so I can give that adaptation the huge amount of attention it deserves. More on this soon…
What’s one dream project you’d like to work on in the future (it can be anything!).
I have four projects in various stages of release, production or development, and a slew of others on the back burner. That’ll do for now 🙂
‘The Bad Guys’ hits theaters April 22, 2022
It rhymes with ‘baby’.
(Say it ten times in a row, then tell everyone you know)
Aaron Blabey is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author with around 30 million books in print. He is also the co-executive producer of the The Bad Guys movie by DreamWorks Animation and the upcoming Netflix movie-musical adaptation of Thelma the Unicorn.
THINGS THAT KIDS ASK A LOT…
Where are you from?
A mystical fairyland full of magical creatures called Bendigo, located in the enchanted realm of regional Victoria.
(You’ll find near the bottom of Australia, a country that is located right at the bottom of your globe. No, that’s Antarctica. You’ve gone too far. Come back up a bit. That’s it. Now you’ve got it.)
What were you like as a kid?
Impossibly handsome. I also had an eye-patch, stooped shoulders and very few friends. It was a complicated time.
Do you have pets?
I live with Maude - a ridiculously beautiful ragdoll cat who suffers no fools.
Did you always want to be a writer?
All I ever wanted to be was a co-pilot on the Millennium Falcon.
When did you become a writer?
When it became clear that the Millennium Falcon was a fictional vehicle and there was no one, living or dead, that I could send a job application to.
Why did you become a writer?
Because it’s awesome.
Do you do the pictures in your books?
Yes I do
*mic drop*
Where do your ideas come from?
I’m glad you asked. There’s actually a spot, just near the end of my street, where you can pick up ideas on a Tuesday morning at around 9.45am, depending on whether their bus is on time or not. It’s really irritating when they’re late though. I’m a busy guy, you know what I saying?
How do you make a book?
By putting words and pictures together in such a way that makes me feel happy. I don’t know how to describe it more accurately than that.
How long does it take to make a book?
About 11 minutes.
Which character from your books is
your favourite?
Pig the Pug changed my life so he gets a shout out here (Yo Pig! Sup?!) but my favourite character is actually Mr Snake from The Bad Guys. He’s a complicated dude and he struggles with life more than all the other characters. I really love him.
How do you write rhymes?
Let me show you –
Who has a name that rhymes with BABY?
That writer you love called AARON BLABEY.
See? Easy.
Where do you write your books?
On the back of my left leg.
What’s the best thing about writing books?
The endless critical acclaim.
How can I get better at writing or drawing?
Do it lots.
What advice would you give a young writer?
Do it lots.
And never give up.
And avoid corduroy jackets with, or without, leather elbow patches.
Will all your books be turned into movies or TV shows?
It’s like this –
Bad Guys? Yep! It’s out! Right now!
Thelma? Yep, coming soon.
Cat On the Run? Yep, in a little while.
Pig? Yep, but you have to be patient, I’ve got a lot happening right now, OK?
My weird OTHER books? Who knows? Stranger things have happened…
THINGS THAT GROWN-UPS ASK A LOT…
What has happened to my life?
(just kidding)
How do I get my children’s book published?
I really don’t have a good answer for this.
One thought though –
Don’t be Gollum.
By which, I mean, don’t write one thing and then hold onto it like it’s your preciousssss.
Write a bunch of stuff. Like, all the time. Or as much as you can manage, depending on your life and circumstances. Write from your heart. Write things that makes you happy. Write things that YOU would have liked to have read when you were a kid. Actually think about what you loved back then. Just write, write, write,
And then, be brave and show it to people.
If it’s good and you don’t give up, hopefully you’ll find a home for it.
I really do, from the bottom of my heart, wish you the very best with it.
THINGS THAT KIDS AND GROWN-UPS ASK A LOT…
Can you visit my school, join me on Zoom, read my story or get me published?
I wish I could but I make a lot of books and most of those books are becoming movies so my time is shrinking by the day and the tiny bits of time I have left are for my family. I apologise in advance for any disappointment this may cause.
APRIL 25, 2022, 12:40 PM ET
'THE BAD GUYS' AUTHOR AARON BLABEY REVEALS FAVORITE 'BAD GUY' AS DREAMWORKS FILM WINS BOX OFFICE
Which bad guy is the favorite bad guy of The Bad Guys creator?
By Matthew Jackson
DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys
(from left) Snake (Marc Maron), Tarantula (Awkwafina), Piranha (Anthony Ramos), Shark (Craig Robinson) and Wolf (Sam Rockwell) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo: DreamWorks Animation
Over the weekend, DreamWorks Animation's The Bad Guys became the new box office champion, overtaking Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with a $24 million domestic haul and an A CinemaScore from moviegoers. Throw in a wave of positive reviews for the new film based on the animated book series by Aaron Blabey, and it looks like The Bad Guys is an original animation hit for DreamWorks.
For Blabey, who's sold more than 30 million children's books in no small part thanks to the launch of The Bad Guys series in 2015, it's both an unlikely success story and a sort of prophecy fulfilled. In an interview with The New York Times over the weekend to promote the film adaptation, loosely based on the first four books in his series, Blabey explained that The Bad Guys came about in part because he'd given himself an ultimatum as an author working a string of day jobs to keep his family afloat. It was simple: At the age of 40, he would either come up with an idea that would make him a full-time author, or surrender himself to a corporate job.
Blabey quickly came up with several concepts that would later be books, including The Bad Guys, a gang of anthropomorphized animal criminals who decide that they're going straight, and they're going to be good guys no matter what people think. Inspired in part by his love of Quentin Tarantino films and driven by his desire to write a book that would be "as exciting as playing Xbox or watching a movie" for kids, Blabey solidified the concept over the course of a long walk, then got an interesting prediction from a friend.
"All of those ideas converged on a walk through the countryside in 2014, and when I wrote the idea down with all the character names, I texted a friend and said, 'What do you think of this?' and she texted back, 'That sounds like a DreamWorks movie,'" Blabey recalled. "We both laughed and I didn’t think about that again until I found myself in Hollywood, talking to all the studios and being at DreamWorks."
Now, one of Blabey's last-chance ideas -- now 14 books long, with the 15th Bad Guys graphic novel set to release this July -- is a hit movie with a shot at becoming a hit movie franchise. The author, who's dubbed himself the "epitome of a late bloomer," no longer has to worry about paying the bills with his writing. Now, he spends a little more time thinking about his characters and their adventures, even if he and his readers can't always agree on who the best Bad Guy is.
"[Readers] do contact me. Mr. Piranha [voiced by Anthony Ramos in the film] has generally been the fan favorite because he’s probably the funniest of the group. My personal favorite has always been Mr. Snake [Marc Maron] because he’s the most complicated of the group, and the one who struggles the most," Blabey said. "He’s kind of like a recovering alcoholic, he’s trying to stay on the path with the other guys, but he keeps falling off and they keep trying to help him out. The journey is more of a struggle for him.
"I think the core relationship between Mr. Wolf [Sam Rockwell], who is an optimist despite his circumstances, and Snake, who is a pessimist, creates a relatable tension that my kids loved from the outset and it seems that other kids get it, too. Their relationship is messy and complicated, like the actual relationships between people, which is somewhat rare in books for the 6-to-12 market. My kids always loved that [complexity]. It didn’t feel 'kiddie' to them. It felt like they were being treated like little adults who could understand stuff. Having said that, my own kids, who are now 14 and 16, also love Piranha because he’s the funniest."
The Bad Guys is now in theaters.
Interview: Australian author Aaron Blabey on pitching The Bad Guys as “Tarantino for kids”; “The challenge was finding filmmakers that understood that”
Peter Gray December 15, 2021 Comments Offon Interview: Australian author Aaron Blabey on pitching The Bad Guys as “Tarantino for kids”; “The challenge was finding filmmakers that understood that”
To coincide with the release of the trailer for the anticipated animated action film The Bad Guys from Dreamworks Pictures, based on Australian author Aaron Blabey‘s #1 New York Times best selling series, our Peter Gray chatted with the writer himself about where the books originated from, pitching a “Tarantino film for kids”, and how surreal it was to cast Sam Rockwell.
Before getting to the film itself, where did the idea for The Bad Guys books come from?
There were a few factors, but basically The Bad Guys is my love letter to cinema, in many ways. I wanted to take all the things I loved as a kid…I mean, these characters were all iterations of creations that have been in my psyche since I was a little boy. When I was looking at writing a series I thought of my boys, and The Bad Guys just stumbled out. It’s a culmination of everything I love within action movies.
Were children’s books always the genre you wanted to focus on as a writer?
I kind of fell into that, in a way. I started painting initially and that led me to creating some picture books. That format I actually found quite frustrating and I didn’t find my groove until my kids hit that age of around 6 or 7 years old, where they had quite defying senses of humour, and then everything kind of clicked and fell into place.
Were you quite taken aback by just how successful these books have been?
Oh absolutely. For the first 8 years or so I couldn’t give my books away! I was just getting nowhere, and it was really one last ditch attempt around the age of 40…this sounds ridiculous but I went for a really long walk and I created Pig the Pug, The Bad Guys, and Thelma the Unicorn all in one go. Without any sense of melodrama about it, it changed my life.
Was The Bad Guys the first of your books to be optioned as a film?
It was, yeah. I have an agent in L.A and we went to all the studios across a couple of weeks, but we just kept coming back to Dreamworks. They just got it right from the get go. Damon (Ross), the producer, and Pierre (Perifel), the director, they just understood the tone in maintaining that irreverence the books have.
I’m assuming it was quite a collaborative process with them?
Absolutely. I’m an executive producer on the movie, and what that entails is that I have been across every draft of the screenplay, all the casting decisions, and all the cuts of the movie. It’s been a long journey. We originally spoke to (Dreamworks) at the end of 2016, so it’s been a long journey watching it grow. But these last two years was where it really solidified itself, and I saw the final cut about a month ago and I got very emotional. It’s everything I hoped it would be.
These are not books I have read but seeing the footage and learning of that tone where it’s essentially a Tarantino heist movie for children really excites me. Was it difficult finding a tone for the film to be suitable for children but also please the adults watching?
My original pitch for this was “Tarantino for kids”, and that just broke open a whole new space to work in. Because I love that territory so much I found it incredibly easy to work in. The challenge was finding filmmakers that understood that and were able to spring off from there. It very well could have been too kiddy or too sophisticated, but it manages to sit in that really sweet spot where kids enjoy the adventure they’re being taken on but adults enjoy all the other (material) taking place around that.
I have spoken to several filmmakers who have made animated pictures for Dreamworks and it seems that Universal are a company that respects the theatrical experience and pushes their films where they can in order to grant that window of it being seen in a cinema.
Fingers crossed that the world will be in decent enough shape come March next year. This is the type of film you want to see on the big screen. It kicks off with a sensational opening. I know that Dreamworks and Universal are really pumped about it.
As you said earlier that you’re a part of the casting process, when you get told that Sam Rockwell, Craig Robinson and Awkwafina are all going to be a part of this…were they ever people you envisioned?
Everyone involved put together lists of who they wanted. Each character list of mine had those actors included, and in some cases they were really short lists. It’s obviously surreal. I’ve been a fan of Sam’s before The Green Mile. And a crowd favourite in my household is This Is The End, so my boys are stoked about Craig’s involvement (laughs). I’ve lived with it for a while now, but it’s still pretty trippy (to think about).
BLABEY, Aaron. Pig the Pug. illus. by Aaron Blabey. 32p. Scholastic. Dec. 2016. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9781338112450.
PreS-Gr 2--Pig, a greedy little pug, lives with Trevor, an amiable dachshund. While Pig has an assorted array of goodies--toy bones, balls, chew toys--he refuses to share the wealth with Trevor. When Pig's companion gently attempts to persuade the pug that playing together might be fun, Pig explodes. He jumps on top of a gigantic pile of his loot, jealously guarding it from Trevor--and soon finds that pride goes before a (painful) fall. The story is straightforward and fun, though the text, told in rhyming verse, is occasionally strained ("And once he had gathered them/up in a pile,/he howled from the top/with a satisfied smile."). The rich, saturated acrylic artwork has a caricaturelike feel and will invite giggles of delight from readers and listeners. Plump Pig is particularly exaggerated, with bulging eyes, a protruding tongue, and a manic expression as he gestures wildly atop his mountain of toys. Young children will revel in his unapologetically naughty antics and might even learn a lesson or two about the value of sharing. VERDICT Though this tale takes on a familiar subject, it should provoke laughter from the intended audience. A fine option where books on sharing are needed.--Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal
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Dar, Mahnaz. "Blabey, Aaron. Pig the Pug." School Library Journal, vol. 62, no. 11, Nov. 2016, p. 67. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A468699138/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c1e29f05. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.
BLABEY, Aaron. The Bad Guys in Mission Unpluckable. illus. by Aaron Blabey. 144p. ebook available. Scholastic. Mar. 2017. pap. $5.99. ISBN 9780545912419. POP
Gr 2-4--The "Bad Guys" return for another rescue mission. This time their goal is to free 10,000 chickens from Sunnyside Chicken Fann. Readers new to the series will benefit from the summary that kicks off the story. However, fans of the original will also delight in one of the most creative synopses appearing in serial books. In this second tale, Mr. Wolf is still trying to prove that his crew is filled with "good guys," which isn't always easy. While Mr. Snake agrees to aid in the chickens' release, it is clear to readers that he would rather eat them. To accomplish the chicken rescue operation, Mr. Wolf must enlist the help of a computer-hacking expert. Despite Mr. Shark's trepidation, a tarantula joins the team. In a spoof on "Mission Impossible," the heroes must break into the security system, navigate laser beams, and avoid wall sensors. It's "Mission, Like, Totally Impossible." Blabey continues to charm a wide age range of readers with uproarious storytelling and artwork that features exaggerated facial expressions. Readers will revel in the voice of his newest character. Variations in font sizes and styles not only make the pages sizzle but also aid developing readers. A twist at the end of this installment is sure to have kids begging to read more. VERDICT Guaranteed to be a hit for chapter book readers looking for humor and action.--Beth Parmer, New Albany Elementary Library, OH
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Parmer, Beth. "Blabey, Aaron. The Bad Guys in Mission Unpluckable." School Library Journal, vol. 63, no. 1, Jan. 2017, p. 80. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A476559572/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=15798682. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.
BLABEY, Aaron. Pig the Elf. illus. by Aaron Blabey. 24p. Scholastic. Sept. 2017. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9781338221220.
K-Gr 3--Pig, introduced in Pig the Pug, is back again in all his selfish splendor. Christmas is coming, and the greedy little pug expects Santa to deliver each item on his lengthy list. Unlike Trevor, a well-behaved dachshund, he refuses to go to sleep on Christmas Eve. He's wide awake when the "portly old gent" pays his visit and makes no bones about calling him out for the scanty pile of presents. "'Hey!' shouted Pig, sounding very unkind. Then he nipped poor old Santa's big, rosy behind!" Santa flees to his sleigh with Pig clamped on tight, and as the reindeer team speeds off, he falls away through the sky. He is saved from utter destruction, miraculously, as the text points out, by landing atop a Christmas tree topped by an angel. Though the ending is rather abrupt, the final glimpse of Pig with wings and a halo is hilariously ironic, since readers can be pretty sure he is unrepentant. VERDICT Clever rhymes and engaging illustrations combine to make this a fun way to convey the message that greed is bad. Highly recommended.--Linda Israelson, Los Angeles Public Library
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Israelson, Linda. "Blabey, Aaron. Pig the Elf." School Library Journal, vol. 63, no. 10, Oct. 2017, pp. 62+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A507950629/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e3230e1e. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.
BLABEY, Aaron. Pig the Fibber. illus. by Aaron Blabey. 32p. Scholastic. Aug. 2018. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9781338291766.
PreS-Gr 1--Pig, everyone's favorite buggy-eyed pug, is back up to his old tricks. In the latest series addition, the greedy dog delights in destroying all sorts of objects around the house. His owners don't appreciate this though, so whenever he is about to get caught, he points a paw at Trevor. The poor wiener dog who gets punished in the other's place only wants to be friends. Pig pushes his luck too far though. When he tries to steal some treats, karma catches up to him. This leaves readers with a rather satisfying and hilarious lesson about lying. Blabey's snappy lines and exaggerated acrylic-based art fully support the method with which he conveys this message. He doesn't preach, he lets kids reach their own conclusion, and keeps their full attention through humor. The rhyme scheme is clever and measured, and the space and page turns always aid the comedic timing. VERDICT If you've bought Pig before, you'll want to add the account of his latest misdeeds to your collection. Caregivers and educators can easily use him as an example of why it's best to behave.--Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ont.
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Forbes, Rachel. "BLABEY, Aaron. Pig the Fibber." School Library Journal, vol. 64, no. 8, Aug. 2018, p. 57. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A548561685/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0bec09ea. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.
Blabey, Aaron DON'T CALL ME BEAR! Scholastic (Children's Fiction) $14.99 9, 17 ISBN: 978-1-338-36002-8
An anguished koala beseeches readers not to confuse koalas with bears.
Warren, a frustrated marsupial, introduces himself and carefully explains the confusion. Yes, he's furry, and yes, the explorer Capt. Cook misidentified his species years ago, but Cook was wrong. Bears live in the U.S., Canada, and the polar regions. "Australia doesn't have bears!" Australia has marsupials such as kangaroos and wombats, emus (which are not chickens), and platypuses (which are not ducks). Blabey's smoothly rhyming text is set in varying typefaces and fonts to emphasize Warren's vexation. Australian terms, such as "chook" for chicken (defined in context) and "bush," meaning a sparsely inhabited region, have been retained in this U.S. edition of a title first published in Australia in 2016. Humorous acrylic paintings feature the koala wearing various types of garb. In a chart of five marsupial species, all wear only tighty whities, guaranteeing giggles. Speech bubbles set on commanding background colors (lime green, deep yellow, ginger orange, light olive, and a deep red) carry the text and will show well to a group of kids who may want to chime in. Observant viewers will notice the crossed-out word in the phrase "koala bear" on a book cover and a toy store sign. When the kangaroo, emu, and platypus point out the obvious--he looks like a bear--he leaves in disgust. Pair with Jackie French and Bruce Whatley's Diary of a Wombat (2003) for an Australian storytime.
Modestly informational and totally fun. (Picture book. 3-7)
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"Blabey, Aaron: DON'T CALL ME BEAR!" Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A588726846/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=fdaee5be. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.
Blabey, Aaron PIG THE REBEL Scholastic (Children's None) $13.49 10, 4 ISBN: 978-1-338-85919-5
You got schooled!
Pig the Pug is back for another off-kilter adventure, and this time he's a doggie school dropout. After off-page antics that leave his owner's home a mess, Pig is shipped off to Big Jean's Dog Obedience School, where the institution's "No job too tough" motto finally meets its match. Pig joins a cohort of equally uncouth pups but doesn't advance further than the first lesson before he organizes a revolt. Mayhem ensues, and Pig ends up looking like his namesake after an accident with a few pink cakes and a tank of flammable gas. Thankfully, though, some lessons were learned and the book ends on a positive note. The story and the illustrations--rendered in acrylic with pens and pencils--are just as zany as readers would expect, and educators and librarians will revel in reading the book aloud. The plot moves at a breakneck pace; as a result, Big Jean, a stern, light-skinned woman with a heap of purple curls, isn't developed, which is unfortunate as the character radiates interest and seems like a funny foil for the mischievous pug. Instead, the focus stays solely on Pig, whose reaction shots and bug-eyed horror at the thought of behaving will have readers giggling long after the book is finished. One sour spot is a visual joke that implies cultural insensitivity among Pig's bad dog behaviors; it appears to be a reference to a previous title in the series, but without context it may confuse readers unfamiliar with the series. This issue aside, Pig is a bad pug whom children will want to read about again and again. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Another hilarious outing with this deliciously naughty dog. (Picture book. 4-8)
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"Blabey, Aaron: PIG THE REBEL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A711906686/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=538bd859. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.
FICTION
The Bad Guys
by Aaron BLABEY
illus. by Aaron Blabey. 144p. Scholastic. Jan. 2017. pap. $5.99. ISBN 9780545912402.
COPY ISBN
Gr 2–4—Be prepared to hear laughter, and lots of it, as students plunge into this graphic novel hybrid. The story opens with Mr. Wolf speaking directly to the audience. Despite his "big, pointy teeth," his "razor-sharp claws," and his suspicious rap sheet filled with familiar "Three Little Pigs" and "Little Red Riding Hood" references, he implores readers to believe he is not a bad guy. Mr. Wolf is on a quest to persuade his carnivorous friends to be part of the Good Guys Club. Their first mission is to rescue a cat from a tree, and even though his friends think Mr. Wolf has lost his mind, they agree to help. Illustrations exaggerate the animals' sharp teeth and wide smiles as they stare up at the terrified kitty. After a few bumps in the plan (namely, Mr. Snake eating Mr. Piranha), an accidental success ensues and they move on to their grand plan of freeing 200 dogs from the pound. Expressive illustrations and typography will captivate budding readers' attention and aid in comprehension. Witty and slapstick humor coupled with menacing animal faces on a bright orange cover ensures this book will appeal to a wide audience.
VERDICT Reminiscent of Aaron Reynolds's Carnivores and Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, this humorous title is highly recommended for all libraries.
Reviewed by Beth Parmer, New Albany Elementary Library, OH , Nov 01, 2016