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What's Next?
An inquisitive baby badger is drawn to discover the world outside his den in an endearing, delightfully illustrated father-and-child story.
Baby Badger sleeps all day in his snuggly burrow. When he wakes, he explores every nook of his home and wants to know “what’s next?” So Daddy takes him to the dark forest above to roll in soft moss and snuffle in bluebell bulbs and watch the silvery moon setting, a signal that night is ending and it’s time to go home. But if daytime is “what’s next,” how can Baby Badger sleep without seeing that? So he slips out alone to see the brilliant flowers and birds and to feel the yellow sun hot on his fur. Cozy illustrations and a child-friendly text depict a curious little creature dazzled by the world’s natural wonders — and a doting father who is there to guide him back if “what’s next” turns out to take him a bit too far.
Baby Badger sleeps all day in his snuggly burrow. When he wakes, he explores every nook of his home and wants to know “what’s next?” So Daddy takes him to the dark forest above to roll in soft moss and snuffle in bluebell bulbs and watch the silvery moon setting, a signal that night is ending and it’s time to go home. But if daytime is “what’s next,” how can Baby Badger sleep without seeing that? So he slips out alone to see the brilliant flowers and birds and to feel the yellow sun hot on his fur. Cozy illustrations and a child-friendly text depict a curious little creature dazzled by the world’s natural wonders — and a doting father who is there to guide him back if “what’s next” turns out to take him a bit too far.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Knapman
212 books31 followersTimothy Knapman has written many books for children, including Mungo and the Picture Book Pirates, Dinosaurs in the Supermarket and Eleanor's Eyebrows. He also writes plays and co-writes musicals.
Timothy Knapman is available in a range of colours, and is washable.
Timothy Knapman is available in a range of colours, and is washable.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 24, 2020
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
As night falls Baby Badger and his daddy come up from their sett and daddy teaches baby about things to see, what he can eat, and where the moss is to roll in. Each time daddy shows baby something, baby wants to know ‘What’s Next?’. As the sun is coming up the pair head back to their sett but baby still wants to know ‘What’s Next?’, daytime says his daddy.
Baby is curious and can’t sleep so he heads out on his own into the morning light to see what daytime is like but once he has wandered away and seen how green the place looks and what the other animals look like he doesn’t know how to get home.
What’s Next? is a beautiful book following a curious little badger as he learns about the world he lives in and always wants to know more. He is so curious that he is willing to go out in the daylight to see what that is like too.
The full-page illustrations are divine and I love how dark they are at the beginning and how bright and colourful they are later on in the book. Baby badger is so adorable and is just like a child when they ask ‘why’ all the time.
This is a wonderful, sweet book that shows the beautiful relationship between a father and son as well as how inquisitive a little one can be.
As night falls Baby Badger and his daddy come up from their sett and daddy teaches baby about things to see, what he can eat, and where the moss is to roll in. Each time daddy shows baby something, baby wants to know ‘What’s Next?’. As the sun is coming up the pair head back to their sett but baby still wants to know ‘What’s Next?’, daytime says his daddy.
Baby is curious and can’t sleep so he heads out on his own into the morning light to see what daytime is like but once he has wandered away and seen how green the place looks and what the other animals look like he doesn’t know how to get home.
What’s Next? is a beautiful book following a curious little badger as he learns about the world he lives in and always wants to know more. He is so curious that he is willing to go out in the daylight to see what that is like too.
The full-page illustrations are divine and I love how dark they are at the beginning and how bright and colourful they are later on in the book. Baby badger is so adorable and is just like a child when they ask ‘why’ all the time.
This is a wonderful, sweet book that shows the beautiful relationship between a father and son as well as how inquisitive a little one can be.
December 21, 2019
A sweet story about a curious, adventurous baby badger who is constantly asking his Dad "what's next?" to see in the wide world above. The mixed-media illustrations are magical and gorgeous and add so much to the story - both the underground badger burrow and the nighttime forest in dark greens, greys, and browns, and the sunshine world of the daytime forest with bright green moss, cornflower blue bluebells, and a bright yellow sun and blue sky. You'll love both worlds and especially the ending when Daddy Badger brings his little one safely home again to sleep. A treasure!
July 3, 2020
What's Next? by Timothy Knapman, illustrated by Jane McGuinness, PICTURE BOOK Candlewick, 2019, $17. 9781536209891
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Baby Badger is so curious. When he is the first to wake up (after sleeping in the cozy underground den all day) he explores! Soon he knows every about the den - What's Next? Daddy take Baby Badger outside into the night and shows him the soft moss, the tasty bulbs and the beautiful moon. But Baby Badger wants to know what's next, and decides to go out in the daylight by himself.
Jane McGuinness illustrations are clever and sweet. I love the expressions on Baby Badger's face - he truly loves everything he experiences - as it should be. I loved the hue changes - how it is dark at the beginning and at night, then daytime is colorful and vibrant. A sweet story about a relationship between father and son.
Lisa Librarian
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Baby Badger is so curious. When he is the first to wake up (after sleeping in the cozy underground den all day) he explores! Soon he knows every about the den - What's Next? Daddy take Baby Badger outside into the night and shows him the soft moss, the tasty bulbs and the beautiful moon. But Baby Badger wants to know what's next, and decides to go out in the daylight by himself.
Jane McGuinness illustrations are clever and sweet. I love the expressions on Baby Badger's face - he truly loves everything he experiences - as it should be. I loved the hue changes - how it is dark at the beginning and at night, then daytime is colorful and vibrant. A sweet story about a relationship between father and son.
Lisa Librarian
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
June 4, 2020
This is a lovely story with some very sweet illustrations which children and adults will love. ‘What’s Next?’ is around A4 in size with thick matt pages filled with the most beautiful illustrations and text. Baby Badger has woken up at night, after sleeping throughout the day, and wants to go exploring, so Daddy Badger shows him what’s outside their sett, that there is a whole forest outside. The two explore the forest, with Baby Badger fascinated by everything and always wondering ‘what’s next?’.
This is a lovely story with Baby Badger being as curious as any child would be about all the new things he has to see. There are lots of things Daddy Badger shows him and Baby Badger is constantly excited to find out what’s next. But when the night ends and it’s time for Baby Badger to go to sleep, he doesn’t want to, instead wishing he could find out what day is like. I really enjoyed this story, particularly with the illustrations which are so beautiful. I don’t want to give away what happens at the end but I will say there’s a lovely contrast when Baby Badger explores the day and discovers that the same things are there, but look very different in the day light.
The illustrations are so amazing and really bring this story to life and make it feel so sweet and engaging. I love the way the two badgers look, their expressions, and the detail of the world around them. The difference between the day and night is very obvious and I love how colourful the day is but the images of the night also have a lot of detail and I enjoyed how lovely they look too. There’s something so engaging about these pictures, and I don’t think this story would be so engaging without these illustrations.
The story is a nice one, although I’m not sure I’d have enjoyed it so much without the illustrations, and is a great book to read with children before bed, although it can be read at any time of course. There’s a lot to explore on each page, lots of fun details that can be seen, even amongst the soil, and it’s a great book for also engaging children about how different the same things look in daylight compared to the night. Overall a lovely book with a fun story but it’s really the illustrations that I feel make this book so great.
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy for review.
This is a lovely story with Baby Badger being as curious as any child would be about all the new things he has to see. There are lots of things Daddy Badger shows him and Baby Badger is constantly excited to find out what’s next. But when the night ends and it’s time for Baby Badger to go to sleep, he doesn’t want to, instead wishing he could find out what day is like. I really enjoyed this story, particularly with the illustrations which are so beautiful. I don’t want to give away what happens at the end but I will say there’s a lovely contrast when Baby Badger explores the day and discovers that the same things are there, but look very different in the day light.
The illustrations are so amazing and really bring this story to life and make it feel so sweet and engaging. I love the way the two badgers look, their expressions, and the detail of the world around them. The difference between the day and night is very obvious and I love how colourful the day is but the images of the night also have a lot of detail and I enjoyed how lovely they look too. There’s something so engaging about these pictures, and I don’t think this story would be so engaging without these illustrations.
The story is a nice one, although I’m not sure I’d have enjoyed it so much without the illustrations, and is a great book to read with children before bed, although it can be read at any time of course. There’s a lot to explore on each page, lots of fun details that can be seen, even amongst the soil, and it’s a great book for also engaging children about how different the same things look in daylight compared to the night. Overall a lovely book with a fun story but it’s really the illustrations that I feel make this book so great.
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy for review.
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March 4, 2021Summary: This is a sweet story about a baby badger who is curious about the world he is living in. He first discovers everything about his underground tunnel and then he asks his dad, "What's next?!". The author walks you through the baby badgers curiosity about the world he is living in.
Reflection: The author describes the relationship between the baby badger and his daddy in such a sweet way. As the badger seeks to uncover everything he can about the world they are living him, his dad responds with so much encouragement, support, wisdom, and excitement to adventure together. Once the badgers explore the underground cave and the outside world at night, the baby badger sneaks out to adventure in the forest during the day. The illustrations are very powerful in enhancing the beauty of the exploration of curiosity the badger goes on through the forest during the nighttime as well as during the day.
Application: I think this book can be a great resource to use as a teacher if you want to teach your students the beauty and power of being curious. You can even ask your students to think about something they are curious about and then create a lesson plan/activity that encourages their curiosity and gives them an opportunity to be in a safe place to walk into their curiosity.
Reflection: The author describes the relationship between the baby badger and his daddy in such a sweet way. As the badger seeks to uncover everything he can about the world they are living him, his dad responds with so much encouragement, support, wisdom, and excitement to adventure together. Once the badgers explore the underground cave and the outside world at night, the baby badger sneaks out to adventure in the forest during the day. The illustrations are very powerful in enhancing the beauty of the exploration of curiosity the badger goes on through the forest during the nighttime as well as during the day.
Application: I think this book can be a great resource to use as a teacher if you want to teach your students the beauty and power of being curious. You can even ask your students to think about something they are curious about and then create a lesson plan/activity that encourages their curiosity and gives them an opportunity to be in a safe place to walk into their curiosity.
April 6, 2020
Baby Raccoon is always asking his dad "What's next?" First it was exploring the forest above his home, but then he learns that day comes after night. Baby Raccoon is determined to stay awake so he can know what day is. He sees similarities between day and night, but also differences.
I found this book endearing. The illustrations reflect the mood of day and night. Night is dark but if one looks hard is filled with beauty, whereas day is cheerful and vibrant. I loved the relationship between Baby Raccoon and his father. One could feel the love they have for each other. The reader does not know what happened to the mother if she is dead or left the family, but you do know that the father will do anything to protect his child. The father will protect him from danger but also enlighten his youngsters view of the world.
I found this book endearing. The illustrations reflect the mood of day and night. Night is dark but if one looks hard is filled with beauty, whereas day is cheerful and vibrant. I loved the relationship between Baby Raccoon and his father. One could feel the love they have for each other. The reader does not know what happened to the mother if she is dead or left the family, but you do know that the father will do anything to protect his child. The father will protect him from danger but also enlighten his youngsters view of the world.
April 2, 2020
Baby Badger is so curious. When he is the first to wake up (after sleeping in the cozy underground den all day) he explores! Soon he knows every about the den - What's Next? Daddy take Baby Badger outside into the night and shows him the soft moss, the tasty bulbs and the beautiful moon. But Baby Badger wants to know what's next, and decides to go out in the daylight by himself.
Jane McGuinness illustrations are clever and sweet. I love the expressions on Baby Badger's face - he truly loves everything he experiences - as it should be. I loved the hue changes - how it is dark at the beginning and at night, then daytime is colorful and vibrant. A sweet story about a relationship between father and son.
For this and more of my reviews, visit http://kissthebook.blogspot.com . CHECK IT OUT!
Jane McGuinness illustrations are clever and sweet. I love the expressions on Baby Badger's face - he truly loves everything he experiences - as it should be. I loved the hue changes - how it is dark at the beginning and at night, then daytime is colorful and vibrant. A sweet story about a relationship between father and son.
For this and more of my reviews, visit http://kissthebook.blogspot.com . CHECK IT OUT!
February 5, 2024
When you think about badgers, is your first thought how much they love exploring above ground?
Honestly, how many adventurous badgers have you ever met?
Well prepare to meet Baby Badger, who might be pretty similar to a timid human toddler. It's so sweet, learning about Baby Badger's discoveries when his father encourages him.
As for the gorgeous illustrations by Jane McGuinness, they're out-of-this-world beautiful -- only distinctly set in this world: a beautiful complement to the text by Timothy Knapman.
FIVE STARS of appreciation, and respect, for this talented picture book team.
Honestly, how many adventurous badgers have you ever met?
Well prepare to meet Baby Badger, who might be pretty similar to a timid human toddler. It's so sweet, learning about Baby Badger's discoveries when his father encourages him.
As for the gorgeous illustrations by Jane McGuinness, they're out-of-this-world beautiful -- only distinctly set in this world: a beautiful complement to the text by Timothy Knapman.
FIVE STARS of appreciation, and respect, for this talented picture book team.
February 16, 2020
A real gem. My two month old is following the black and white badger illustratiins with interest. Meanwhile, the four year old relates to the story of a little curious mind who ventures out to explore the world. A perfect bedtime reading that provides a sense of security that parents will always help just at the right time and that home is a loving and nurturing place. We also really like books that feature loving father-child relationships.
September 3, 2021
Sweet story with a cute baby badger who explores his world - first starting with his underground burrow. When he asks what’s next, his dad shows him the forest at night. But when bedtime (daytime) comes, baby badger is not sleepy because he wants to see daytime which he knows comes next, after nighttime.
Good bedtime story for toddlers and preschoolers.
Good bedtime story for toddlers and preschoolers.
January 9, 2020
Good illustrations, good story.
July 12, 2020
Great book about the exploration by a child.
What’s next, each day is a new adventure
What’s next, each day is a new adventure
November 12, 2020
The illustrations are really adorable
December 23, 2019
A cute story about a baby badger exploring his world
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews