Thank you, GR friend Laura, for recommending this on audio! It was perfect for my road trip today— I laughed out loud a lot. The author is the audiobook reader. While sometimes that turns out to be a bad idea, in this case, it was perfect.
The humor is droll and absurd, with the most deliberately nonsensical similes I’ve ever heard. Characterization of the baddies is grotesque in a style similar to Roald Dahl’s.
Oddly, I’m not sure who to recommend this to, other than adults who like children’s books. It’s clearly a children’s book, but Mr. Gum really is a bad man who plots something pretty horrific against the town’s beloved stray dog. It would have upset me greatly when I was a child. I’m not a parent, but I am an aunty who gives books as gifts, and I think I’d be more likely to give this to my grown nieces and nephews (on audio, of course).
It was great fun for me, anyway, and I would recommend it to fans of Lemony Snicket or Roald Dahl. ( )

I'm not sure I've ever read a book which taps into the minds of small children quite as well as this one. It's weird, loud, crass, silly, repetitive, over the top and doesn't really make any sense at all. So basically it is just like my 8 year old in print form. He thinks it's hilarious and is saving up his pocket money for the rest of the series, rather than spending it on sweets and tat. Thank you Mr Stanton. ( )

Silly and fun. Strikes me as a book for boys, but maybe girls love it too. ( )

Denne boka handler om Herr Grim, som hater barn, dyr, moro og maiskolber. Han har en fiendlig fe som bor i badekaret hans og som tvinger ham til å ha en perfekt hage. Så kommer hunden Jakob, som er stor og snill, og leker i hagen hver dag. Dette vil herr Grim sette en stopper for.
Boka er humoristisk, og har en absurd fortellermåte. I en bisetning sier en kylling voff, det er en jente her som heter Petter og av og til kan man lure på hvilke stoffer forfatteren går på. Jeg har lest den for datteren min på 7 år, og hun synes den er "mossom" som slakter Billy William den tredje sier. Bør leses hvis du liker en humor som er litt far out. Passer for barn fra 7-8 år og oppover. ( )

Well, an interesting book. Was suggested by a parent as it was something her son was enjoying. I can see it being a hit with reluctant readers as it is offbeat and amusing. Just doesn't particularly make me laugh but maybe for a child age 7-10 years it would be a good read. ( )