Badger's New House

ANNOTATION

After moving into a grand new house and fixing up his old one for Grandmother Mouse, Badger realizes that he misses his former home.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Badger loves his cozy little cottage. The door sticks and the shutters bang, but Badger doesn't mind-until a huge storm makes a mess of his house. He doesn't think he can fix the damage, so he sells the cottage to Grandmother Mouse and moves to a lovely mansion.

But Badger feels lost and lonely in his huge new house, so he's happy when Grandmother Mouse invites him to tea. He doesn't even mind fixing the sticking door. Each time Badger visits he fixes something else, and soon the little cottage is as good as new. The only problem is that it's too small for Grandmother Mouse's family to visit. But Badger can fix that, too!

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In a sort of This Old House for the picture-book set, Muller (The Angel Tree) demonstrates that, indeed, there's no place like home. Badger's cozy cottage has its flaws the door sticks, the roof leaks, etc. but Badger overlooks them until a storm wreaks havoc. Declaring that he can't fix the damage, the waistcoat-wearing Badger finds himself a baronial mansion ("Now this is a house!"). His old place looks "so empty and sad" that Badger decides to advertise for a new resident for it, and in moves Grandmother Mouse, confident that "someone" will perform the necessary repairs. Uncomfortable in his imposing home, it is Badger who fixes the cottage's sticky door, glues the shutters in place, and so on; a clever ending rewards Badger for his hard work (and Grandmother for her guile). The illustrations suggest an English yesteryear, with characters sporting an elaborately quaint combination of Victorian and Edwardian fashions. Muller heaps on the visual details, especially in the cottage decor. Ages 4-7. (May) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature - Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Badger's beloved old cottage needs so many repairs that he decides to move to a grand new house, letting Grandmother Mouse move into the old one. When she invites him to tea, the cottage looks much more welcoming than his new home, where he feels a bit lonely. Grandmother is happy in the cottage, except for.... As she mentions problems, Badger bravely comes each day and manages to fix each one. When all her relatives arrive, he even has a solution for that. He happily moves back into his now renovated cottage and gives Grandmother Mouse and her family the big house, as long as she still joins him for tea. There's almost a Victorian quality to the detailed, full-page watercolor and pencil crayon illustrations of the d￯﾿ﾽcor and clothing. The appealing charm of the personalities adds both pathos and humor. Vignettes and bordered text pages add significantly to the visual narrative. 2002, Henry Holt and Company,

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-Badger loves his old house, despite its flaws. Then one night, a bad storm damages it. Unwilling to undertake the necessary repairs, he decides it's time to move. His fancy new house is much larger than his previous one but, not surprisingly, he soon misses his cozy old place. When the new tenant, Grandmother Mouse, gently points out just one of the house's pitfalls, Badger gallantly steps in and attempts to make repairs. With each ensuing visit, his confidence grows and soon the old abode is as good as new. The final problem of space, created when Grandmother Mouse's large extended family moves in with her, is solved by a house swap, leaving Badger back home. While Muller doesn't explain why Badger is initially reluctant to repair his house, Grandmother Mouse's gentle manipulation is both amusing and convincing. The characters' costumes (a tailcoat for Badger, a long dress with a bustle for Grandmother Mouse), along with details of architecture and setting, give the book a charming, old-fashioned look. Humorous touches keep the pictures, created with watercolors and pencil crayons, from being cloying, and offer engaging details not mentioned in the text. Young readers will likely enjoy return visits to Badger's house almost as much as he does.-Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews