Tiger and Badger

by Emily Jenkins, Marie-Louise Gay (Illustrations)

Tiger and Badger are the very best of friends—even when they don’t get along.

Tiger and Badger are best friends. Of course, sometimes even very best friends can get into disagreements —over a toy, or a chair, or even sharing some orange slices. But no matter what, after a bit of pouting and with the help of some very silly faces, they always make up. Tiger and Badger is an exuberant read-aloud bursting with bright illustrations to hold the attention of very young readers just learning to make—and keep—friends.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Storytime, Adventure

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 9, 2016

About the author

Emily Jenkins is the author of many books for children, including the recent picture books Tiger and Badger, illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay, and Princessland, illustrated by Yoko Tanaka. Her chapter books include the Toys series, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky; she is co-author of the Upside-down Magic series. Emily Jenkins lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Besties who argue over foolishness, trick each other, help each other, get mad quickly and have a love/hate relationship...hmmm, sounds like the perfect description of the average preschooler! My kids didn't love this because they were too old for it, but I found it clever with unique illustrations & colors. 3 stars.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf.

Tiger and Badger are best friends and also, they get mad at each other. They also wear funny hats. They manage to remain best friends despite getting angry. The art is whimsical.

Library copy

[The Library Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

We get requests all the time for this sort of stuff: "Do you have any books about being nice to friends?" and as such we could hand this to parents. And this does ring true to young children's behavior. However, something in the flow of the book bothered both me and my assistant, and we don't think it reads well. Great idea, poor execution strikes again.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best friends who bicker and fight and trick each other and get mad at each other and cry?

May I direct your attention to this very good blog post by a preschool teacher at an innovative play-based preschool in my neighborhood:

http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2...

One of the most important points he makes is this:

"As a teacher in a school that engages in no direct instruction, but rather bases its curriculum on the evidence of how children learn best, which is through their own self-selected free play, I'm here to tell you that conflict stands at the center of how learning happens. Our entire school day, is, for all intents and purposes, recess, and yes, much of what the children are doing while playing both indoors and out is bicker."

What's the most important thing we learn, ever? How to get along with each other. And how do you learn to get along with someone else if there is no conflict? This book is one of the rare ones that realistically models the sometimes nonsensical ups and downs of preschool friendship.

Does it look like a semi-hallucinated movie about insane people? Yes, yes it does. Have you SPENT any time with preschoolers lately? I think it's likely that Emily Jenkins and Marie-Louise Gay have.

[Margaux · Rating 2 out of 5]

A badger and tiger (best friends) get in a fight, start trouble, and make up. I would have loved less dots and more connections.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who wouldn't want to be friends with a spatula-wielding badger?

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

There can be ups and downs between friends, and this story shows the arguments of Tiger and Badger who adore each other, but just do not agree on everything. The arguments may seem trivial, but each one feel so strongly about them. This is taken to a “fight” level, but as you will see, these best friends continue their relationship, and know how to “make up”, too. The text is simple, with Marie-Louise Guy, the illustrator of the wonderful Any Questions?, showing action and emotions in a delightful outdoor setting. She includes much detail, but without losing the real focus, these two friends and their actions and emotions. It’s a story that will bring questions and a lot of conversation about friendships and ways to disagree and to compromise.

[Aliza Werner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tiger and Badger are supposedly the very best of friends, but you wouldn't know it the way they treat each other. Largely competitive and mean to one another, they end up fighting several times before they fall back on making each other laugh and the author declaring "they really are best friends". There are so many ways they are not friendly that I didn't like either character, nor did I like how they made up without really addressing their problem. I would have liked to see them be more friendly to each other throughout the book with one thing going wrong instead of so many. I wouldn't want to be friends with either of them.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are delightful and charming, but the plot hits a little too close to home. The highs and lows of playtime are captured here with uncanny accuracy, depicting the blissful joy of harmony in one second, immediately followed by the bitterness of deep abiding hatred the next, and then everything is inexplicably back to normal again. Reading this to my almost-four and almost-seven year olds seemed more like describing their day together than reading a story.

[East Gwillimbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely story about two friends a Badger and a Tiger. Throughout this book the pair have there ups and downs but at the end of the day are able to say I am sorry and remain friends. Beautiful illustrations.

[Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

These jerks need to chill it the truck out. And why do they have to call the monkey "Bad Monkey"? Seems like profiling to me.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharing and caring. Fighting and making up. Such necessary skills can't start too early. I applaud this picture book for helping the youngest readers to learn how they can succeed at friendship.

Here's a sample of the toddler-age directness, written to be pitch perfect for those squeaky young voices:

"You're mean," says Tiger.
"You ate the whole thing."

"No, YOU'RE mean," says Badger.
"You threw Bad Monkey up high."

"No, YOU'RE mean," says Badger.
"You made me throw Bad Monkey."

"I'll need your help to save Bad Monkey," says Tiger.

"Okay. We can use my spatula," says Badger.

Delightful storytelling. Maybe also humorous to adult readers, but imo it would be wise for us to read this FIVE STAR gem of a book with a straight face.

[Sophie Snowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this wonderful book on my first placement for a PSHE lesson exploring friendship. It's a very good book for children about how friends can fall out but if you are true friends you will be able to solve the problems and realise that your friendship is more important than arguments. I used this to explore with year 1 what a good friend is, why someone might not be such a good friend, and what can we do to make sure we are all friends. It created great discussion amongst the class and I would definitely use it again for a similar lesson in the future.

[Ersa S. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got lost at,

"Badger gets Bad Monkey.
'Here's a surprise!'

'What?' asks Tiger.

'Come and see.'"

I didn't understand what "Bad Monkey" was, I thought I had missed reading a page, and, even though it is implied via context clues, "Bad Monkey" was never really explained. Also, Tiger and Badger just fight, it isn't explained why, and then, all of a sudden, are friends at the end again??

I'm not sure if this is due to the writing style supposed to be mimicing toddler interactions, or because it's just bad writing. Either way, I found it very confusing, needlessly repetative, and dull.

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two better-than-best-the-bestest-ever friends end up getting in a fight. They seem to have more emtional maturity than most adults because they are able to work through their differences and remain friends!

Lovely illustrations.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute graphics bring this best friend story to life! Badger and Tiger are best friends which can mean good friend fun and also disagreements at times too! But appreciate those friends we have and keep them close!

[Viviane Elbee]

Some preschool friends (and some siblings) have relationships that resemble the relationship between Tiger and Badger. One minute they are best friends, and the next, they are fighting. And then, they are back to being friends.

[Rebecca Gomez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the illustrations in this book, but the text was a little too spare. At times it was hard to follow the story. It also felt a bit choppy.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this, because hello, badger, but it wasn't my favorite. Felt like the illustrations were a bit too busy and the story was a bit too specific to a particular pair of kids.

[MelMon Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes best friends don't see eye to eye. Sometimes they argue. Sometimes they fight. But they always come back, because they are best friends.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiger and Badger are best friends and then they have a disagreement.
Young readers get to see, through great illustrations and easy-to-read text, what it is to have and be a friend.

[Teri S · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although I giggled a couple times, I found myself wanting more from this book. Did not quite enjoy it.

[Chase Ryder Sky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dad: I'm once again overruling my sons opinion. Tiger and badger had bad attitudes and not enough redeeming qualities to make me enjoy this story.

Ben: liked the book. Sorry son, overruled.

[Aneesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute Hobbes-like illustrations but no story.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this is how friends treat each other, I'd rather not have one, thank you very much. Extra star for the Calvin-and-Hobbes style art.

[Mackenzie Williamson]

I enjoyed how this book showed that even best friends can get in fights and still make up in the end.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through Marie-Louise Gay's whimsical illustrations & Emily Jenkins' storytelling, young readers & listeners will experience the ups & downs of friendship - all in one afternoon! Although Tiger and Badger are very good friends, greed and anger fuel a turbulent afternoon, but all ends well with the friends reuniting before bedtime. Young listeners and readers will giggle at all the right spots, and they may even see themselves reflected in Tiger or Badger. I highly recommend this fun title for both school and public library collections. Hopefully, we will see more of Tiger and Badger's adventures in the future.

[Venus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review originally posted on Children's Atheneum

I know kids fight with their friends. We all did. I also know that kids make up rather quickly. However, I loathe the message that all friends fight and it is inevitable, especially when you are best friends. One of the greatest things I discovered as I got older was that fighting with someone is a choice and one can simply choose not to. Of course, this is something that was learned over time, but isn't that the better message to convey to children? Learn how to stop fights before they happen. Control your emotions. Allow your friends to be themselves. Be kind. Be generous. Be forgiving. Friendships built on see saw emotions are at best, stressful and at worst, emotionally abusive.

Tiger and Badger are actually rather horrible friends to one another. They aren't even friendly to one another. Their fights are petty and are rarely resolved in a healthy manner. They remind me of those friend that you were forced to play with because your mothers were good friends or because they lived next door. You never really got along, but they were the only other kid around. I'm sure they would be able to be good friends to one another, but since their only real communication method is making funny faces at one another, they definitely are not at the point where they can be.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

TIGER AND BADGER by Emily Jenkins is an adorable picture about friendship.

Tiger and Badger are best friends. Whether working together to rescue Bad Monkey or fighting over a chair, they face ups and downs in their relationship. Happily, they always end up friends in the end.

Librarians will find this book to be an engaging read-aloud choice perfect for silly voices. Young children will enjoy the vibrant, watercolor illustrations and large text. A great book for class discussions about friendship, children will check it out over and over again.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.emilyjenkins.com/.

To learn more about the illustrator, go to http://marielouisegay.com/.

Published by Candlewick on February 9, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

[Jillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tiger and Badger are best friends - but not really. At least, I don't think so. Their relationship seems more of an "only friends" situation, where they don't really like each other but don't have much of an alternative. They steal each other's chairs and oranges, argue over their stuffed animal, and disagree over who is whose best friend. They can, however, work together to solve problems, and they can make silly faces at each other, and they can even seem to genuinely enjoy one another's company. So it's not a total failure on the friendship front.
But obviously, the story didn't do a whole lot for me.

The illustrations were great, though - full of fun and energy, and sprinkled with cute details, they're definitely an attention-getter.