Movies
The director's big screen adaptation of the story opened the BFI London Film Festival on October 13 ahead of its UK release on Friday.
Anderson told The Daily Telegraph: "I always loved Fantastic Mr Fox - it was the first book I actually owned with my name written in the title page on a little sticker.
"As a child I loved the character of Mr Fox. The combination of his being heroic and also vain. That character was very appealing to me and my brothers, who I was reading the book with."
His illustrator brother Eric added: "I never questioned the book's importance to Wes, because I understood its importance to me.
"Mr Fox had a wit and urbanity and sophistication that made him seem unique among the heroes of kids' books."
Anderson has admitted to a difference of opinion with the film's crew over his decision to direct the stop-motion picture from his Paris home rather than its London set.
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