The Bad Guys in Open Wide and Say Arrrgh!
by Aaron Blabey · The Bad Guys #15
Chaotic cosmic adventure in the most reluctant-reader-friendly series on the shelf — but read the earlier volumes first.
The story
The Bad Guys crew, scattered across dimensions, races to rescue Agent Fox from a psychotic dentist while hunting for the legendary Others, mysterious figures said to hold the key to defeating a cosmic centipede overlord. Along the way they meet a compulsively honest bat, a folksy elder named Granny Mambo, a slick con-artist pretending to be their leader, and a terrifying Wire Lady in a haunted forest. Meanwhile Tiffany Fluffit has a personal breakthrough about who she really is. This is the middle of a longer arc and ends on a deliberate cliffhanger — ideal for kids already invested in the series, not as a first entry.
Age verdict
Best for 8-10; works for 7-12 if the child already knows the series. Common Sense Media rates the series 7+.
Our take
Kid-magnet visual-comedy gateway with strong reluctant-reader pull
What stands out
Each audience's top 3 dimensions. Out of 30 scored per book.
Kids love
- Middle momentum Exceptional
The Sand Warrior — Cross-cutting Fox/crew threads every chapter (Ch.2 raptor, Ch.3 Dickie, Ch.9 Wire Lady, Ch.13 triple cliffhanger). Graphic novel chapter architecture (6-10 spreads per chapter) structurally prevents middle-sag. Tier 3 comparison: A Reaper at the Gates uses relay-race POV switching; Bad Guys achieves similar forward pull with hard chapter breaks. Sits at anchor (9): relentless pacing.
- Character voice Exceptional
Wolf earnest, Piranha loud Spanish-inflected, Mambo folksy Southern, Abe compulsive-honesty loop, Drillaargh unhinged monologue, Delores proud real-name declaration. Each recognizable via font/case/punctuation without tags. Tier 3 comparison: Children of Blood and Bone contrasts visceral Zélie with reflective Amari at sentence level; Bad Guys achieves distinctness through dialogue patterns and visual distinction. Sits at anchor (9): ensemble voice clarity.
Parents love
- Reading gateway Strong
The Sand Warrior — Scholastic Book Fair staple, NYT bestseller, 2022 DreamWorks movie pull. Gateway for reluctant 7-10s. Visual jokes carry non-prose readers. Sits below anchor (8 vs 10): equally effective gateway but 5 Worlds' painted art/world-design edge slightly.
- Stereotype-breaker Strong
Ch.13 Fluffit explicitly lists leader needs (integrity, compassion, intelligence) to debunk handsome-leader stereotype Buck embodies. Quiet subversion through humor. Sits at anchor: integrated throughout, not heavy-handed.
Teachers love
- Reluctant reader rescue Exceptional
The Scarlet Shedder — Archetypal reluctant-reader rescue: visual format, chaos humor, short panels (40 words/page), 2022 DreamWorks movie pull. Teachers recommend for reluctant engagement. Series on reluctant-reader lists nationwide. Tier 3 comparison: Babymouse also high but Dog Man is the gold standard. Sits at anchor (9): equal impact.
- Empathy & self-awareness Solid
Comparable to Breakout — Redemption arc baked into Bad Guys premise. Fluffit embracing real self, Wolf wrestling past offer identity/second-chances footholds. Book keeps tone light so empathy work is gentle. Sits below anchor (6 vs 8): similar framework but lighter emotional weight.
✓ Perfect for
- • Kids 8-10 already hooked on The Bad Guys series
- • Fans of the 2022 DreamWorks movie who want more chaos
- • Reluctant readers who need visual humor to stay engaged
- • Kids who love Dog Man, Captain Underpants, and Wimpy Kid
- • Readers who enjoy absurdist cartoon multiverses
Not ideal for
Kids who haven't read earlier Bad Guys volumes — the cosmology and cast are confusing starting here. Parents seeking prose-rich vocabulary growth, real-world content learning, or serious emotional depth should choose a different format.
⚠ Heads up
At a glance
- Pages
- 192
- Chapters
- 13
- Words
- 5k
- Lexile
- 500L
- Difficulty
- Easy
- POV
- Third Person Limited
- Illustration
- Fully Illustrated
- Published
- 2022
- Publisher
- Scholastic
- Illustrator
- Aaron Blabey
- ISBN
- 9781338818512
Mood & style
You'll know it worked when…
Kids who finish this one in an afternoon will beg for the next volume because of the triple cliffhanger ending.
If your kid loved this
Matched across 30 dimensions — interest hooks, character appeal, tone, pacing, emotional core. Not by what other people bought. By what fits the same reader profile.
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