Badger is quite happy living alone in his friend Lucy’s large house. She was very kind to give him somewhere to live and study his rocks. Rocks are Badger’s life. He has a special rock room where he works quietly and contentedly with his geologist’s tools. He must have quiet to focus on this very important work.

He’s not expecting a knock at his door, let alone a skunk with a little red suitcase tied together with twine. Thinking Skunk is a salesman, Badger tries to move him on. No such luck. Skunk knows his name, shakes Badger’s hand and is suddenly inside – inside Badger’s rock room!

Badger has lived alone for three whole years, but now is faced with a room mate. Skunk too has been invited by Lucy to live in her house. Skunk is her nephew. Badger can do nothing. After all, he is a guest of Lucy too! Maybe he should’ve taken time from his very important work to read the last three letters Lucy wrote to him…

Skunk quickly settles in. He is friendly, helpful, and thoughtful. He’s also a very good cook. Badger’s diet of cold cereal is muchly improved – even if he does have to do the dishes afterwards.

According to Badger however, Skunk talks too much. He bounces, he skips, he whistles tunes and clangs pans. He certainly asks too many questions and cannot seem to leave Badger to his very important work. Badger writes back to Lucy. Skunk may stay for a short visit but must move on.

Badger does not like her answer.

One night, Badger reaches breaking point. Skunk is terribly upset, and Badger soon wonders if he’s made a terrible mistake.

Even with the 100 chickens. And the visiting stoat. And even Skunk doing the unthinkable. Badger finally has what he wants – or does he?

This is a remarkable story about friendship. Badger is practically a recluse. He believes he’s happy all alone. Until he’s not. He doesn’t even know what he’s been missing out on, inside his house and out.

Skunk is an admirable character, making the best of things, helping and thinking about others, even though he knows that, ‘Not everyone wants a skunk.’ His outgoing friendly nature is just too much for Badger, but in a very short time of living with Skunk, Badger has been changed forever. Whether he wanted it to happen or not.

I laughed out loud at the antics between Skunk and Badger. 100 chickens for popcorn story time and a sleepover are pretty funny too.

This is the first is a new series by this talented duo. Jon Klassen captures the feel of the story brilliantly in his illustrations. He admits that he felt for Badger when he read the manuscript. Klassen had a new baby in the house and suddenly his time wasn’t his own, when all he wanted to do sometimes was to hide away and work. 

Sometimes we are caught up in things we think are very important, when sometimes the things we are missing out on are even more essential. We must always take time for the truly important stuff. Friendship is high on the list.

Author – Amy Timberlake

Illustrator – Jon Klassen

Age – 7+

Quick Review

A friendly happy skunk has come to live with a grouchy, hermit Badger in a house that belongs to a mutual friend and relative. Badger isn’t happy and decides Skunk needs to go. Until it actually happens. This is a beautiful tale of friendship which will make you laugh. This is the first in a new illustrated series.

More books illustrated by Jon Klassen

(Talking animals, Friendship, Chickens, Courage, Thoughtfulness, Hurt, Regrets, Series, Self importance, Understanding, Acceptance)