National Badger Day is celebrated on the 6th October annually. I find badgers beguiling. On a recent trip to Britain I was desperate to see one and when I asked where to see one this well-meaning woman said to me, "Oh dear, the only place you'll see one is dead on the side of the road." I continued my road trip and didn't give this comment too much more thought until the last day when about a kilometre from the airport as we were about to return our hire car I saw a badger, dead on the side of the road. In Australia we are quite used to 'roadkill' so my reaction I thought was completely out of character. I was a blubbering mess.
Probably the first time I thought about badgers, as we don't have them in Australia, was when reading Wind in the Willows. Then when I started teaching Susan Varley's Badger's Parting Gifts was in every classroom and it made me sad. I wanted badger books that were happier and found Nick Butterworth's Percy the Park Keeper series where forest animals appeared so appealing.
Now there are many more books to choose from in my library and I could put together a lovely display to celebrate today, starting with a plush badger bought at IKEA of all places. Jane Chapman's badgers always look friendly and fun in her illustrations for Karma Wilson's Bear stories. Her badger in Paul Bright's Grumpy Badger's Christmas even makes me smile.
The children in my library enjoy three 'badger' series:
• Suzanne Chiew and Caroline Pedler's Badger and the Great Storm, Badger and the Great Rescue, and Badger and the Great Journey
• The Mr Badger and Mrs Fox series by Brigitte Luciani and Eve Tharlet. These five picture books are popular with my children who like the graphic novel format but are looking for shorter stories with coloured pictures.
• And of course there is Leigh Hobbs' Mr Badger books which have dedicated Year 1 and 2 boy followers.
There are other stand alone picture books, but those above will get you started on a good display.
