Baby's first bank heist by Jim Whalley

Ill. by Stephen Collins. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408891193
(Ages: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Animals, Babies. Utterly crazy and equally hilarious, this is the tale of an errant infant, Frank, immediately distinctive in a black and white Babygro. An ardent animal lover, he has an overwhelming desire for a pet of his own, but his parents won't allow it, stating that pets are too expensive to upkeep. This leaves Frank with only one option and he desperately becomes a bank robber. The issue is this tiny lad is not content with just one animal, and with cash in abundance, within no time at all he has all the pets he ever desired, from a meerkat to a rhino, and the entire house resembles a menagerie.
Until . . . one afternoon his Mum makes a startling discovery!! Frank's deceitful escapade has been discovered and it is now time to make amends. With none of the stolen loot left, what can the family do to raise the funds to repay the bank? And what do they do with all the newly acquired animals? There is only one way to set matters right. I won't say what ensues but will merely add that baby Frank spends some time behind bars.
This pet related preposterous tale will get both children and adults spluttering with glee at the pint-sized criminal mastermind, as wily as the animated film star (Boss Baby). Debut author Jim Whalley narrates in suitably deadpan rhyme while Stephen Collin's witty expressive illustrations will delight young and old alike.
First in a series of picture books featuring Baby Frank and his criminal activities, children will love Frank's logic and naughtiness.
Donna Isgar