The Only Way is Badger

by Stella J. Jones, Carmen Saldana (Illustrator)

Overview

One morning, the animals wake up to find that someone has built a huge wall and put up posters on the trees that read "Badgers are best!" Badger wants everyone to be more like him, and when they can't do things as well as he does, he sends them away to the other side of the wall. But is being the best really the most important thing?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781680100983
Publisher:	Tiger Tales.
Publication date:	09/04/2018
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.40(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Stella J. Jones lives in Yorkshire. She loves baked beans and chocolate (but not together) and building ramshackle bookcases for her far-too-big collection of picture books. On sunny days, you can find her practicing yoga al fresco and on rainy days, curled up on the sofa with her two guinea pigs, Pinky and Perky.

Editorial Reviews

2018-06-25
Badger bullies—well, badgers—other animals into accepting his delusions of superiority—but finally realizes the error of his ways.After the expressive, comical animals on the cover have hinted at the premise, a double-page spread of hand(paw)-painted posters against a bleak, gray, cement-block wall reinforces it, with slogans such as "Be More Badger." Cheerful, colorful, flower-studded grass and animals that somewhat resemble the characters in Jon Klassen's I Want My HatBack accompany the ominous opening words: "Deep in the forest, something wasn't right. Overnight, a wall had appeared. And someone had covered the trees with strange posters." The mystified forest creatures are soon assured by boisterous, egotistical Badger that he is "telling it like it is" with his declaration that badgers are best. He insists that he is helping them by ensuring that they all exhibit badgerlike traits. Deer—previously interrupted by Badger when trying to voice an opinion—becomes the first animal banished over the wall, supposedly because he cannot dig. Badger incites jeering at Deer. With each new test, more animals leave, amid clever wordplay and humorous, absurd art. Finally, Badger is alone in a world that he has painted in his fur's black-and-white. His final poster creates a happy ending unlikely to occur in the real world of politics. But who mentioned politics?A lighthearted look at the consequences of exclusion and self-absorption. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews