Skunk and Badger (Skunk and Badger, Book 1)

Amy Timberlake, Jon Klassen

Format
Hardback
Publisher
Allen & Unwin
Country
Australia
Published
29 September 2020
Pages
136
ISBN
9781760525484

Skunk and Badger (Skunk and Badger, Book 1)

No one wants a skunk. They are unwelcome on front stoops. They should not linger in Rock Rooms. Skunks should never, ever be allowed to move in. But Skunk is Badger’s new roommate, and there is nothing Badger, who prefers to be left alone to do Important Rock Work, can do about it.

Skunk ploughs into Badger’s life, and Badger’s life is upended. Tails are flipped. The wrong animal is sprayed. And why-oh-why are there so many chickens?

Winnie-the-Pooh meets Wallace & Gromit in a fresh take on a classic odd-couple friendship.

Caldecott Medal illustrator Jon Klassen has created some of the most iconic cover images in recent memory, ranging from I Want My Hat Back to Pax, and his distinct humour and eye for design are truly a dream fit for this series. Newbery Honor author Amy Timberlake’s Skunk & Badger, a junior fiction that’s at once hilarious and deeply felt, calls to mind the work of Kate DiCamillo and even A.A. Milne.

Review

by Athina Clarke

Funny yet wise, irresistibly playful and infused with an offbeat charm, Skunk and Badger is a beautifully crafted, whimsical adventure that charmed me from the outset, recalling authors I’ve loved since childhood, including E.B. White, A.A. Milne and Kenneth Grahame.

Skunk is gregarious, an outgoing philosopher and thinker who loves discussing Shakespeare and cooking. Whereas Badger is a quiet, solitary soul who wants nothing more than to study rocks and play the ukulele to calm his nerves. Circumstance forces this unlikely pair together, with surprising results. But when a flock of chickens and a stoat enter the mix, mayhem ensues!

This whimsical adventure explores the joys – and conundrums – of friendship, and the wonder of new horizons. Perfect for independent readers aged 7+, it begs to be read aloud; children will love its quirky humour, adults will be transported back to their own childhood. It’s a classic in the making and I highly recommend it.