Badger's New House

by Robin Muller

Badger lives in an old house that he loves, but it has a leaky old roof and noisy banging shutters. After a big storm, when the shutters blow off and rain pours in, Badger is fed up and decides he wants a new house – one that doesn't need to be fixed up. So he moves into a fancy new house, but it is just too BIG and it doesn't feel like home. What can Badger do to solve his dilemma?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals

32 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2002

About the author

He was an enterprising child who began his own small publishing house at the age of eight. His passion for storytelling continued into high school where he started a second, competing school paper named Exodus. Muller's paper featured creative writing by students including short stories, poetry, book reviews and paid advertising. Muller left high school at sixteen to make his living as an artist, in the Yorkville section of downtown Toronto. Muller enjoyed the six years he spent painting because "Art is self-indulgent as opposed to publishing books. Only one person has to buy a painting for it to be successful". (Writing Stories, Making Pictures, 234) Gradually, his interest in the fine arts waned and Robin Muller began looking for a new creative outlet. With his interest in narrative revived, he sought out a medium where he could marry his storytelling and illustrating abilities.

Muller's interest in children's books began in his teens, when he worked in a publisher's warehouse. He found the children's books so fascinating that he decided to try to write and illustrate his own book. However, his first book, Rupert's Star, was rejected by every publisher he sent it to. Disappointed by the publishers' responses, Muller waited ten years before he attempted another book. Muller was twenty-nine when his second book The Sorcerer's Apprentice, appeared in bookstores.

Reviews

[Shawn Deal]

A very nice book. Good story, beautifully illustrated.

[Tamera Mcmahon]

Badger is unhappy with the needed repairs in his cottage and posts a notification on his door seeking a new owner for a house needing repairs.
Grandmother mouse answers the ad, moves in, and gets Badger to make the necessary repairs to the cottage. When grandmother mouse needs one last bit of help Badger has a solution.

There is repetition that encourages a bit of participation in the sharing of the book.

[Cheryl]

A winner. Adorable, and also very funny. Would be great to read with a teacher who wants kids to learn how to make predictions. And the artwork is rich, vibrant, and adds a *lot* to the story. A bit on the long side for the rug rats.

[Rachel Willis]

This one was lovely. I liked both the story and illustrations (the author is the illustrator on this one which is cool).

Bebe listened to the whole thing very patiently which is out of the ordinary for him with a book of this size. Lovely book.

[Christine]

This is one of my sons favorite books. The book is beautifully illustrated with a lot of teaching moments.

[Jbondandrews]

A very adorable book.

[The Brothers]

Badger's house has a few problems that on a normal day, Badger can ignore. But a huge storm blows in and all the problems -from a leaky roof to a smoky chimney - become too much for him. He doesn't think he can fix them, so he packs up and moves to a huge new house and gives his old house to Grandmother Mouse. When he goes back to visit her, she asks him to kindly to fix one of the problems. He struggles, but succeeds to both of their delight. After several visits, the house is all fixed and Grandmother Mouse's very extended family comes to live with her. Seeing how crowded it is there now, Badger gladly exchanges his grand new house for his now repaired old one.

Really charming illustrations.

[Jason Orendorff]

This storybook is packed with charm. A badger who is too timid to try fixing up his old home instead moves into an enormous mansion. This of course is a mistake, and the only way to right it is for the badger to overcome his shyness and make the repairs one by one--which he does, at the gentle prompting of the little house's new owner, a grandmother mouse.

Clever and heartwarming at the same time. Highly recommended for four- to eight-year-olds.

[Lori]

I let the kids check out a total of 15 books each time we visit the library. This was the ONLY book they wanted to read each night! I'm a sucker for any book with animals and cottages in the trees so I'll have to purchase this one for our home library. This book is about a Badger, his cottage, and a mouse. :) So cute!

[Cynthia]

This is another really cute French picture book for kids. The illustrations were really appealing, however long the story was :) Written by the Canadian artist, with a big reputation, Robin Muller, fails to disappoint. I really loved reading this book, and it is soooo recommended!

[Peggy Archer]

Sometimes you just need a little 'push' from the right person to discover your potential, and in this story Grandmother Mouse seems to be just the one for Badger. A nice friendship evolves in the process, and Badger finds that he can fix more than he realizes.

[Lynn Davidson]

Badger loved his cosy little house, but when it needed repair, he sold it and moved to a much larger one. He believed he could not do the repairs but when the new owner of his little house wanted some things fixed, Badger decided to try. This is a sweet story with fabulous gorgeous illustrations.

[Melanie]

also friendship and moving

[Dayna]

Sweet picture book about contentment, confidence, & friendship.