Skunk and Badger

I had heard about this series (book #2 has just been published) and thought I'd start with the first one to get the back story. Well, I won't be reading #2 ("Egg Marks The Spot") because I didn't care for these characters enough to spend any more time with them. After finishing Skunk and Badger, I read many of the reviews. While reading the four and five star reviews I thought I must have missed something. Then after reading the more critical comments of the 1 and 2 stars, I felt validated. I didn't really like either character - Skunk or Badger - and kept wondering who this book was written for. It's a chapter book, but the writing style and plot seem intended for a younger reader. The author sets up poor Badger to be the bad guy, but show more he really just has a quirky personality. Skunk moves in and takes over in a bullying kind of way. Other books often glorify the quirky person and the reader is told the right thing to do is to make allowances. In this book Badger has to completely change his lifestyle to accommodate Skunk (and the chickens). Some reviewers have compared this series favorably to the "Frog and Toad" series, but while that one gives readers warm fuzzies, this one just left me disgruntled and glad to turn the last page. show less

If you know a child (grades 2-5 or 39+) who loved Frog and Toad and needs a more grown-up version....here it is. I absolutely loved this story of two mismatched lodgers in Aunt Lula's brownstone with their quirky habits and seemingly irreconcilable differences, who find they really don't want to live without one another. Chickens also enter into it. Fantastic.

This a thoroughly charming children's story about a curmudgeonly, introverted Badger who becomes an inadvertent roommate with a friendly, outgoing, but sensitive skunk. Mayhem ensues, involving many chickens, a devious stoat and delays to Badgers VERY IMPORTANT ROCK WORK. But all resolves happily in the end, and true friendship is born.

It very much reminded me of Kenneth Graham with a bit of The Muppet Show mixed in.

This review and others posted over at Milliebot Reads.

Thank you to Algonquin for sending me this book for free in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

I’m sure I must have read the Frog and Toad books back in grade school; I know for a certainty I read them to a student a few years ago when I participated in a reading program at his school. In a longer, chapter-book format than our amphibian friends, Skunk and Badger convey important life lessons through their dissimilar personalities and some humor.

I certainly saw a bit of myself in Badger. I’m very much a “place for everything and everything in its place” type, and so is he. His rock room is very particularly organized and decorated, including: “In the fireplace, Badger show more had piled geodes in a pyramid. (Artistic!)” The artistic comment made me smile and I totally agree. That’s a great use of a fireplace if you’re not using it for, you know, fires. Readers even get a little lesson from Badger on the difference between minerals and rocks as he does his work.

Badger has his routines, he keeps his aunt’s house orderly (except maybe for the room full of boxes he’s hoarding, but as an adult, I know how hard it is to let go of a good box – you might need it someday!) and he enjoys his alone time. Or does he?

It’s great to watch Skunk bring Badger out of his shell with delicious meals, messes, and many, many chickens. Skunk isn’t just all fun and games though. One night he’s reading Shakespeare’s Henry V and explains his thoughts on the material to Badger:

“Gentle and kind is the way I would like the world to be. I hope it will be that way. But Badger, if it were true that kindness and gentleness were the best way to win a kingdom – or win anything at all – wouldn’t everyone do it? Not everyone is gentle and kind. Even I myself find it hard to be kind and gentle. Sometimes I get mad.”

The book is full of little thoughtful moments like that one. Later, Badger is getting advice on how to apologize from other animals in town. Some of the sage advice includes actually saying “I’m sorry” out loud, making sure not to say “I’m sorry, but”, and to truly listen to Skunk.

I love when lessons and learning are embedded right into the story and come naturally from the personalities and interactions between characters. This is such a charming little book and I was just so happy reading it. I love how Timberlake made sure to work the animals’ natural instincts and characteristics into their characters, rather than just making them act like humans.

And the illustrations! Hopefully you didn’t think I was going to skip those. You know how much I enjoy illustrations and design elements. I love Klassen’s style and I was charmed from the very cover by Skunk’s grin as he holds out his hand to meet a clearly skeptical Badger. There are several large illustrations and cute chapter headers, and I definitely want to check out the hardcover, since it was published yesterday (September 15).

I’m hoping this is a series because I’m going to need more of these two in my life! I highly recommend this for middle-grade lovers like myself, as well as younger readers looking for stories about seemingly unlikely friendships and animal shenanigans. show less

Set-in-his-ways Badger lives in his Aunt Lula's brownstone in North Twist, where he does Very Important Rock Work. His work - and his life - is interrupted by the arrival of a stranger, Skunk, who is to be his new roommate. Skunk is excited, but Badger is resistant to change. Skunk has his charms, certainly - he cooks a delicious breakfast, for one thing - but his interruptions and changes are intolerable for Badger. Skunk - and his chickens - must go!

A book with a unique sensibility; like if Frog and Toad had a before-they-were-friends prequel (but middle grade, not early reader).

See also: The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels

Quotes

But first...there was the beginning. There was the asking of the first question. Badger show more liked the beginning. At the beginning, he cleared the clutter of assumptions and guesses from his mind. He opened himself up to any possibility, and asked the question. (35)

"Gentle and kind is the way I would like the world to be. I hope it will be that way. But Badger, if it were true that kindness and gentleness were the best way to win a kingdom - or win anything at all - wouldn't everyone do it? Not everyone is gentle and kind. Even I myself find it hard to be kind and gentle. Sometimes I get mad. Also, I am a small animal, and being small is difficult." (Skunk to Badger, 47) show less

An illustrated children's chapter book about a Badger, who lives in his aunt's brownstone and does Important Rock Work. One day Skunk shows up saying Aunt Lula said he could stay there too. Oh no, people! And then there's chickens. It's silly and also often adorable and sweet and is about changes and how those aren't always bad and about making friends. I was just a liiiittle done with it before it was over, but I am also not the target audience. The illustrations are perfection.

I liked it. It's an odd little book with an unapologetic love of chickens. It's pretty good at enumerating some of the challenges of a roommate, especially an unexpected one. It's also pretty great about mistakes and apologies and getting to know new friends.