SKUNK AND BADGER - Amy Timberlake

5 stars

This was adorable and nostalgic and everything we need to save us from 2020. A badger in a rut meets a skunk looking for a roommate—things will never be the same. Oh, and also there are chickens.

Writing: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★★

Badger is an Important Rock Scientist. He does Important Rock Things in his rock room, which is the living room of a brownstone building that his Aunt Lula lets him live in. Badger doesn't explore the city, he eats cereal everyday, and he never—ever—receives guests.

Then one day there is a knock at the door. Skunk has arrived.

Skunk was also told that he could live in Aunt Lula's brownstone. Aunt Lula thinks Badger needs a roommate. Aunt Lula also thinks Skunk needs a place to call home. (Life isn't easy for a skunk.) Badger didn't think he needed a roommate, but Lula owns the house so... Skunk is here to stay.

But it quickly becomes clear that Badger and Skunk have different ideas about life, noise, and...chickens?

What a cute, beautiful, heartwarming, and beautifully illustrated tale about two unlikely characters discovering what it means to be good. Skunk and Badger is the perfect tale for kids—the pleasing repetition of themes and sentence structure begs to be read aloud—and the themes of acceptance and love are applicable for all ages.

I loved reading this as an adult, so don't be shy! Beautiful story.

Thank you to Algonquin Books for Young Readers for my copy in exchange for an honest review.