K-Gr 2-Badger's good attitude is put to the test when little things go wrong all day. He helps his friends with their problems and they manage to have a nice day after all, wrapping up with an impromptu party. The muted cartoon illustrations are cozy with homely details and peaceful scenery, but the text has a wordy, didactic formality not well suited to American audiences. Badger's misadventures are not exciting: things go wrong in very mundane ways with lost objects, minor boo-boos, and so on. There is no growth, no lesson learned; Badger starts (and finishes) with a positive outlook, with just a few wobbles along the way due to circumstances. VERDICT This is not a story that will capture children's imagination or hold their interest.-Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Badger and friends are having "a...badger of a day": Badger breaks his favorite mug; Stag loses his ball; Mouse can't bake a cake. The wide-eyed animals visibly sag with grief until they solve one another's problems and laugh the day off with games like "who could knock over his cup most clumsily." Minor text-art inconsistencies aside, this is a welcoming look at moods. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

On the morning of the day everything goes wrong for Badger, he knocks over his lamp. Then he breaks his favorite cup and can't find his colored pencils. After tripping in the yard, Badger elects to go for a walk since nothing is going right at home. As he visits his friends in the forest, he realizes everyone else is having a thoroughly miserable day, too. Badger helps Raccoon fix a broken clothesline, Stag find his missing ball, and Mouse bake a cake. Helping others seems to go well, but calamity strikes again when Badger slips and falls into a stream. He decides to call this horrible day quits and go home to bed. But when he gets home, all his friends are there to surprise him; they've found his pencils, mended his cup, and brought him the cake he helped make. Illustrations are bright and cheery with rich, jewel-toned hues, such as turquoise, coral, and ruby red, livening up the rustic, woodland setting. This sweet Swiss import gives a fresh take on altruism and friendship.--Mazza, April Copyright 2015 Booklist