Badger (his name is Septimus) looks different from other badgers. He also has a very different lifestyle and different tastes and interests. But Septimus is filled with doubts. Is he really a badger? He enjoys his little cottage not far from the sea. He listens to his favourite opera music on his phonograph. He has his special shell collection on his mantel but is something missing in his life? To is great delight and surprise, he seems to have found a friend. A seagull has come to visit not just once but every Wednesday towards the end of the day. They share tea (from a saucer for Gully) and biscuits and conversation. Well they sort of have a conversation. Gully can only say 'caw' but somehow Badger is able to 'interpret' what each 'caw' means either by the tone or body language. They also enjoy watching the glorious sunset.
Tone is a big aspect of this story or more exactly of the way it is told. As a reader we live, while reading this book, inside the badger's head feeling every moment of doubt and every confusion as Septimus tries to second guess just how Gully is reacting to their relationship and as he tries so hard not to upset Gully or cause her (spoiler Gully is a girl) to, I can hardly write these words, to leave.
Wednesday has become so precious to Septimus. As a reader you are sure to recognise his loneliness even though Septimus never uses this word. Then comes a marvelous day when Gully invites his badger friend to visit the beach. Sadly, it is not a terrific day for Septimus because the sand gets into this fur and the water is salty and uncomfortable the sun is too hot and he is missing his pack and supplies. Gully persuaded him to leave everything at home such as boots, and a chair and snacks. The best part of the day, though, comes at the end when Badger can lie back in his bath:
"The bathwater was the exact temperature he preferred with just the right number of bubbles, and a thick dry towel waited on the hook. ... Septimus stretched in the miniature sea of his bath, to which he added a soothing drop of lavender oil."
Oh and on that day too Gully gifts Badger a wonderful new shell for his collection - surely this means their friendship is secure? Alas though, perhaps it is not, because then Gully disappears.
There are two major scenes in this story which I will leave you to discover. When Gully goes missing Septimus visits two private investigators but they turn out to be a pair of snails! And later Septimus visits other badgers deep in the forest and he makes some important discoveries about his name and about his 'unique' appearance.
After reading this book you might ponder the title and why Septimus thinks of himself as a bad badger - a great way to talk about (not in a formal way with a class) with your young reading companion the role of self-esteem and doubt and that inner voice we all have. Then you might think about the subtitle 'A love story' which should open up a whole other conversation about friendship and the give and take and ups and downs of relationships.
Here are some of the delicious words you and your reading companion/s will encounter in this utterly charming story: inkling; preening; intrigued; perception; rhetorical; hindsight; funicular; inscrutable; superlatively; and unencumbered.
Bookseller blurb: Septimus is not good at being a badger. He adores the sunset. He dreams of going to Venice. And he lives alone in a charming cottage by the sea. He's not unhappy with his tidy, solitary life, but there are times when being so bad at badgerdom makes him wonder if he's even a badger at all. When a gull of very few words lands on the windowsill, Septimus leaps at the possibility of friendship. However, his new confidant soon goes missing and Septimus is bereft. Determined to find his best-and only-friend, he ventures into new territory and encounters a cast of surprising characters. Can Septimus be as brave and bighearted as he'll need to be to find Gully? Or is he really a bad badger after all?
It’s a simple story that somehow manages to bring up all kinds of complex questions along the way. Best of all, kids will come up with their own answers to those questions. It’s a book that speaks to the very heart of what it means to be a real friend and a true friend, to someone else. Betsy Bird Fuse 8
You also need to know that the art/illustrations by Giulia Ghigini are fantastic.
The book precisely pinpoints the anxieties and fears that many experience when making new friends, especially those grappling with insecurities. Wood narrates with a wry sense of humor that’s particularly evident when Septimus converses with other animals, such as a pair of snail private eyes. Gentle illustrations complement the tale’s understated tone and perfectly bring to life the cozy settings. Kirkus Star review
At the start of Book Week here in Australia I visited three of our big city bookstores - Abbeys, Dymocks and Kinokuniya along with a local one near my home. I was dismayed to discover NONE had the 2026 CBCA award winners on display - although Abbeys did have Once I was a Giant by Zeno Sworder on their small high book section counter.
To celebrate Book Week of course I decided to buy a book - and this is the book I picked. You are probably somewhat surprised because it is not Australian, it is not an award winner (even though it should be) and it is not new (published in 2025) BUT this will make my list of the BEST books I have read this year so I did make a great choice for a book to enjoy during Book Week.
And now, joy of joys, I have discovered there is a sequel:
In her review Betsy Bird says about Bad Badger: Some will say, “They don’t make ‘em like this anymore,” but I say, “They never made them like this, and I’m glad they started now.”
I agree but I do feel as though I have read a book or two with a similar feel to Bad Badger featuring a main character filled with self-doubt and charming quirky habits maybe I am thinking of the badger in the Heartwood Hotel series for younger readers. Anyway, here are some possible companion books:
These are two different covers for the same book
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