Bad Badger: A Family Story

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To help raise a trio of seagull chicks would be an unusual job for any badger, even an odd duck like Septimus. But he, Gully, and those three spotted fluffballs are a family now. Frankly, living with birds is a lot to get used to! Septimus secretly longs for some badger-alone time, and poor Gully can only caw with exhaustion at all the fishing and feeding the chicks demand.

As the chaos of family life threatens to spoil the peace of their cozy cottage, unexpected help arrives in the form of eight forest badgers. Septimus balks at the smelly, muddy-pawed intrusion, but Gully knows the value of having a flock.

At first, many paws make light work. But a gull’s place is in the wide-open sky, not belowground in dark tunnels, snacking on worms. As the chicks grow bigger and more badgerish by the day, Gully worries that they’ll never take flight. Can earthbound Septimus help teach his chicks to soar? And will he ever have a quiet afternoon of opera-listening again? 

Bad Badger: A Family Story is about the joys and challenges of family life, the courage it takes to stretch your wings, and learning what it really means to be part of a flock.

Ages 7-10 ✦ Illustrations by Giulia Ghigini
Audiobook recorded by Chris Devon

Praise for Bad Badger:
A Family Story

★ “The genuine affection between characters is palpable; this is a delightful exploration of family and love itself, of the challenges of facing one’s fears and the joys of trying new things.… A warm tale of found family and frantic gulls that hits every emotional beat with aplomb.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“This tender story of “odd ducks” of all kinds has the same magic as its predecessor, with a larger cast of characters… To be perfectly frank, this flock of odd ducks welcomes everyone.”
– School Library Journal

“Like the first installment, this is a whimsical gem with plenty of heart, quirky humor, and a surprising realism when it comes to family dynamics… Families looking for their next readaloud will likely appreciate the genuine warmth and honest acknowledgement of the loving chaos a large household can bring.”
— Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Septimus and Gully stole readers’ hearts in Bad Badger: A Love Story (2025), and their unconventional family grows in a variety of ways in this charming sequel.”
— Booklist

Illustrations by Giulia Ghigini