Tricky by Kari Rust

A good villain is so easy to be delightedly outraged by. 

Tricky, the dog, and his Duke a famous in their town.

Or rather, notorious. 

After all their bad behavior, they would go home and revel in their badness. 

Meeting the new baker, Duke and Tricky continued their devious behavior.

But for some reason, the new baker didn't know their reputation and repaid their badness with kindness. How could she? 

Her kindness confused things--it made tricky feel warm inside. 

When the Duke did his usual bad things at the bakery the next day, Duke did not approve. 

But he is just a dog, what can he do?

Besides stuff a loaf of bread in the toilet, oversoap the water and stuff dead fish under the furniture. 

Of course, Tricky had learned from the best, so he knew how to be wicked! 

The Duke had no mercy on his old pal.

But the mistreated baker did! 

The Duke found that badness wasn't possible or fun without Tricky. 

So he left town. To maybe turn over a new leaf in a new town. 

Meanwhile, Tricky and the baker got along beautifully! 

Baba Yaga by An Leysen

Fairy tales are often gruesome. This is one of the most gruesome in my opinion. But the An Leysen illustrations were so soft and gentle that I decided it might temper the less than pleasant story line. 

Here is Baba Yaga. Who looks quite pleasant and quirky in this picture. 

Do not be deceived. She is a nasty bit of goods. 

This is a fuzzy picture, but a perfectly sweet picture too of Olga and her dad. 

Olga's mother died ages ago, so it is just her and her dad and her special doll that her mother gave her. 

Enter the evil stepmother. Who happens to be Baba Yaga's sister. 

This woman is horrid. She makes Cinderella's stepmother look merely annoying. 

Evil stepmother sends Olga to fetch a needle from Auntie Baba Yaga hoping that Baba Yaga will make a meal of Olga and evil stepmother will be rid of Olga for ever. 

I mean seriously. What is with fairy tales and cannabalism? 

Baba Yaga's house on chicken legs. Because... why not?

Baba Yaga's sad maid who has not been eaten. Baba Yaga only likes to eat children. 

Baba Yaga and her toad trying to lure Olga into carelessness. 

She asks the maid to give Olga a bath. A nice HOT bath--wink, wink; ie boil the child. 

Since Olga had been nice to the maid, the maid fills the tub with a sieve, which means it doesn't actually get filled. 

Throughout this ordeal, Olga's special doll from her mother guides her through her troubles, telling her to tell the maid to fill the bath with the sieve, befriend the evil cat, etc. 

I think the doll was probably napping when Olga was heading to Baba Yaga's house. Because otherwise it should have been yelling to turn around, head to the high country, go anywhere but where you are going. 

But still. Magical dolls are useful for getting out of trouble even if they are not good at warning of trouble. 

Olga creates a river to keep Baba Yaga away (Baba Yaga can't cross water) so Baba Yaga brings her cow to drink the entire river dry. 

But I like the cow's headgear.

And like all fairy tales, the father realizes he married a horrendous woman and the stepmother disappears. 

And Olga and her father live happily ever after, reading books. Because books are an important part of happily ever after. 

The Contests at Cowlick by Richard Kennedy & Illus by Marc Simont

This book is pretty awesome. Kids love it when a little kid shows up grown ups. And if those particular grown ups happen to be bad guys, all the better. 

And if the bad guys happen to be a gang of outlaws out west, all the better better.  

"If you need us" the sheriff said as they left, "we'll just be a holler up the creek."

When Hogbone and his gang showed up, the people of Cowlick hollered.

But no sheriff. 

So the town of Cowlick ran and hid.

But good ole Wally comes back out of hiding. 

"If  you want some trouble," said Wally, "I can give you some trouble."

Hogbone dropped a look on the boy and said, "Most trouble you'd give me is sticken' between my teeth when I chaw  you up."

Wally challenges some of the men to a footrace. The bad guys get a kick out of strutting their stuff in front of this kid before they rob the town. 

Sure enough, they show Wally that they can run faster than him. Since they were all neat and tidy in the livery stable, Wally just bolted them in there.

He told Hogbone they were resting on the grass. 

Next, he challenges some men to a climbing race. 

Shore nuff, those men could climb up the roof of the church faster than Wally. So Wally left them there.

Then he challenged the next five men to lifting up their horses. 

To do it proper, they had to be securely tied to the underbelly of their horses. Once the men were tied, Wally took away the ladders of the men on the church.  

Hogbone caught on. 

Wally challenges Hogbone to one more feat.

You can have your men back and all the money in the bank if  you can holler louder than me. 

"Okay," he said, "give me some air sucking room."

I love this picture! It makes me laugh every time.

And he hollers. Wally tells him he better try again because that wouldn't beat him. So he hollers some more. 

And finally the sheriff hears the holler. 

So Wally heads off for some fishing.