Spotlight on Bad Badger: A Love Story

Bad Badger: A Love Story by Maryrose Wood and Giulia Ghigini is a delight. It’s marketed to kids, sure, but I actually think it is a great book for all ages. If you know an adult who’s been struggling to read lately, perhaps because of stress from the daily news, hand them this charming book to soothe their spirit and restore their faith in stories.

Bad Badger is about a badger, Septimus, who thinks that he’s not very good at being his species. He isn’t like other badgers, preferring to live by the sea (and not in the forest) and is covered with spots that seem very un-badger-like. He loves classical music, freshly brewed tea, and solitude. That is until he meets Gully, a sea gull who visits his porch. Gully doesn’t talk much, allowing Septimus to share his interests. Is this a friend? Septimus wonders. When Gully returns day after day, Septimus begins to count on her presence.

When Gully later stops appearing, Septimus is worried he’s done something to offend. In trying to find Gully and make amends, he goes on journeys in which he meets other badgers in the forest and other gulls at the beach.

It’s a lovely tale of friendship and building faith in yourself. Wood’s prose is humorous, as always, and smart. And Ghigini’s illustrations really make the book sing. I wanted to sink into the black and white drawings, full of detail and heart. See Septimus’s house nestled in the scenery of a cliff, with every plant, shrub, and tree lovingly depicted. Admire the badger’s hand-knit sweater. The plates and teacups look as if they’ve just come off the shelf of a quaint antique shop.

Give yourself a treat and pick up this gem of a book.