Beware! 'The Baddies' are here to scare your kids — and make them laugh

https://www.npr.org/2023/11/25/ [login to see] /the-baddies-the-gruffalo-room-on-the-broom
Frog and Toad, George and Martha, Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat: iconic duos abound in children's literature. Another classic pair? Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

They are the brains behind dozens of picture books including Room on the Broom, Tabby McTat and, of course, The Gruffalo. One of their latest books together is The Baddies — about a witch, a troll and a ghost who like being bad.

When a little girl moves into a nearby cottage, the three baddies are practically giddy. They decide to compete to see who can steal the little girl's blue hanky.

"It should be funny and they shouldn't be too scary," says Axel Scheffler of the three baddies. "They're really ridiculous."