Skunk and Badger (Skunk and Badger 1)

Product Description

Learn how Skunk and Badger first became roommates before embarking on their latest adventure, Egg Marks the Spot, now on sale! A 
Best Book of 2020: 
People * Kirkus Reviews * Booklist  * School Library Journal * Publishers Weekly * Shelf Awareness for Readers * New York Public Library * Chicago Public Library * Evanston Public Library

Wallace and Gromit meets
Winnie-the-Pooh in a fresh take on a classic odd-couple friendship, from Newbery Honor author Amy Timberlake with full-color and black-and-white illustrations throughout by Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen.
 
No one wants a skunk.
 
They are unwelcome on front stoops. They should not linger in Important Rock Rooms. Skunks should never,
ever be allowed to move in. But Skunk is Badger’s new roommate, and there is nothing Badger can do about it.
 
When Skunk plows into Badger’s life, everything Badger knows is upended. Tails are flipped. The wrong animal is sprayed. And why-oh-why are there so many chickens?
 
“
Nooooooooooooooooooooo!”
 
Newbery Honor author Amy Timberlake spins the first tale in a series about two opposites who need to be friends.
 

New York Times bestselling author/illustrator and Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen completes the book with his signature lushly textured art. This beautifully bound edition contains both full-color plates and numerous black-and-white illustrations.
 

Skunk and Badger is a book you’ll want to read, reread, and read out loud . . . again and again.

From School Library Journal

Gr 2-5-Badger is a quiet, solitary geologist intent on his important rock work. Skunk is an outgoing, friendly, unwelcome new roommate. They have nothing in common. Aunt Lula must have been crazy to suggest it-this is never going to work out. But, the more time they spend together, the more they learn about each other. Maybe they have more in common than they realized, and maybe being roommates is just what they both needed. And who knew chickens were such conversationalists and story lovers? In a classic odd-couple pairing, Badger and Skunk show how opposites attract and that making friends means opening yourself up to possibilities. Finding the things that we share is much harder than seeing the ways we are different. Badger is a bit testy and grumpy, while Skunk is prone to leap before he looks-but together they are a fun duo who complement each other. Clear themes of tolerance, friendship, and understanding drive the story in a way that children will respond to. The subtle nod to unemployment and potential homelessness that begins the story provides opportunities to expand learning and compassion. VERDICT Overall, a sweet unlikely friendship story that would be a welcome addition to any elementary or public library.-­Elizabeth Speer, Weatherford Coll., TXα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

A 2021 Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens Selection

“Wordy fun, with laugh-out-loud dialogue…this book defies age grouping. Anyone who has shared a living space — with siblings, classmates or grown adults — can relate to this witty and whimsical tale… Lovers of rocks and chickens, and nerds of all stripes, will crack a smile…Scratchy yet sophisticated ink drawings by the Caldecott Medal winner Jon Klassen add warmth to the already cozy text…they give this handsomely designed book the look and feel of a classic.”

—The New York Times Book Review

“Curmudgeonly Badger is not amused when Skunk moves in. Endearing comedy ensues.”

—People

“Gloriously complemented by Jon Klassen’s meticulous illustrations, 
Skunk and Badger has the feel of a bygone era while telling a completely modern (and delightful) story of how hard change can be, and how worth it change is.”

—NPR

“A splendid entry in the odd-couple genre, Timberlake’s spunky series opener posits that compassion and inner transformation can strengthen the unlik