Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl, 1970

Mr. Fox must save not only himself and his family, but his entire community of animal friends from the fiendish farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Mr. Fox reminds me of a classy gentleman burglar, the kind "Lassiter" and "Ocean's 12" feature. He's also a bit of a Robin Hood, sharing his take with his friends while stealing from the most unsympathetic antagonists ever. Mortality isn't kept hidden either, as the farmers want the fox dead!