Customer Reviews

Grumpy Badger's Christmas

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

(Review written for Punnybop)

All Badger wants to do is go to sleep; he doesn't care about Christmas. It's his time to go underground and sleep all winter through. When his animal friends come knocking on his door trying to bring presents and asking to borrow his ladder to decorate a Christmas tree, he angrily sends them away. "Piffle!" he shouts. "I don't like presents and I don't like Christmas!"

But then one of them shows up to ask for his help because Mole is stuck on top of the tree he was trying to decorate. Again, Grumpy Badger wants to be left alone, so he closes the door and goes back to sleep... but he has a terrible dream that Mole is about to fall out of the tree. When he startles himself awake, he realizes what a bad friend he's been, rushes out to save Mole, and apologizes to everyone for being so grumpy.

To make it up to them, he throws a wonderful Christmas party, which he intends to make an annual tradition.

The story's only possible flaw is that badgers don't actually hibernate. They're less active in cold weather, and sometimes stay underground for long stretches, but they don't sleep through the winter as it suggests in this book. If you forgive this bit of artistic license... and the fact that the text can be a little hard to read against the background on some pages... it's a winner all the way. A solid message, an entertaining story, and nicely expressive acrylic paintings.

Grumpy Badger's Christmas is a cute adaptation to Scrooge. My son loves it, especially when I use fun voices...the illustrations are beautiful as well. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys the holidays and seeing the true message.

The story is fairly predictable and not incredibly original, but it's still sweet and I was smiling at the last page. Plus, the illustrations are just so adorable!! I really think I would have loved the pictures when I was little just as much as I love them now. Definitely a great Christmas book for young animal lovers.

Grumpy Badger is a modern (and animal-inspired) take on the classic tale of the miserly Scrooge. While all the other woodland creatures are busy preparing for Christmas, Badger holes himself up in his home, preparing to hibernate for the winter. He refuses to be cajoled into taking part in the festivities, and his only source of enjoyment is to gaze at his vast store of rations for the long hibernation ahead.

When little Mole asks for Badger's help to decorate the Christmas tree, Badger rudely chases Mole away. It is only later, when Mole gets into trouble, that Badger's conscience pricks him into action, and setting things right. The ending is wonderfully upbeat, with a festive-inspired feast and party not to be forgotten anytime soon by the woodland creatures. Young children will delight in this beautifully-illustrated holiday tale.