Bad Badger: A Love Story
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The first book in a new series
Septimus is a badger, but he’s not very badgerish. He adores the sunset, the opera, and his prized collection of seashells. He has spots where most badgers have stripes. And he lives alone, in a charming cottage by the sea.
He’s not unhappy with his tidy, solitary life, but there are times when being so bad at badgerdom makes him wonder if he’s even a badger at all.
When a seagull of very few words lands on the windowsill, Septimus leaps at the possibility of friendship, but navigating this new relationship presents a series of dilemmas. How can he serve tea to a friend whose wings can’t hold a teacup? How troubled should he be if Gully fails to share his passion for opera? How can they enjoy a day at Gully’s beloved beach when Septimus cannot abide having sand between his toes?
It’s time to face facts: To be a true friend while staying true to yourself means knowing who you are to begin with. When Septimus finally discovers his true nature, he can’t wait to tell Gully—but the bird has gone missing!
Septimus is bereft. Determined to find his best—and only—friend, he ventures into new territory and encounters a cast of surprising characters who challenge everything he thinks he knows. Can Septimus be as brave and big-hearted as he’ll need to be in order to be reunited with Gully? Or is he truly a bad badger after all?
Ages 7-10 ✦ Illustrations by Giulia Ghigini
Audiobook recorded by Chris Devon
Praise for Bad Badger:
A Love Story
★ “A tender friendship tale with a luster all its own.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred)
★ “A depiction of love and friendship at its best and truest.”
– School Library Journal (starred)
★ “The spirit of Frog and Toad is very much alive in this tender account of two friends who become committed companions and learn that caring for each other is more important than sharing all of the same interests.”
— Booklist (starred)
“I’ve fallen head over heels for Septimus….This is a lovely novel — full of warmth, flecked with anxiety quelled with patience and insight.”
—The Washington Post
“[A] clever narrative voice and utterly charming protagonist…sure to please fans of Lobel’s classic [Frog and Toad] as well as Katherine Applegate’s more modern works.”
— Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Deceptively simple, exceedingly smart, and lovely to eye and ear alike, this is a delightful little book. Some will say, “They don’t make ‘em like this anymore,” but I say, “They never made them like this, and I’m glad they started now.””
— A Fuse#8 Production, an SLJ blog
“A lonely eccentric makes a friend and finds happiness. Thus runs the plot of many a story but seldom with the charm and drollery that Maryrose Wood brings to Bad Badger: A Love Story, a chapter book for children ages 8–12 that would do well as a read-aloud for a wider age range.”
— The Wall Street Journal
Illustrations by Giulia Ghigini