You’re a Bad Man, Mr Gum! by Andy Stanton from The 10 Best Children's ooks

Stanton shares a knack for the delightfully horrid and intelligently silly with Roald Dahl and Roddy Doyle. Mr Gum is a miserable, lazy, greedy man who wants to poison a loveable dog who keeps messing up his garden. Can a plucky young girl, a heroic boho and the mutt himself foil Gum’s evil plans? A modern gem. Best for: Ages 7–10 In a nutshell: Inventive, intelligent nonsense