Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Mr. Badger and Mrs. Fox: The Carnival
Illustrator: Eve Tharlet
Graphic Novel Series
For ages 5 to 7
Lerner, 2014 ISBN: 978-1467742030
Winter has a tight grip on the land. The ground is hard and frozen, the air is freezing, and food is scare for the Badger and Fox families. When Grub, Ginger, and Bristle go out to try to dig up food they are not able to get anything because the ground is too hard and because it is so cold.
Going home emptyhanded is hard, but the young badgers and fox have no choice. Thankfully, Mama Fox brings home a pheasant and she tells her family that she found a field where there are a few beets still left in the ground. Since Mrs. Fox is not strong enough to dig them up on her own, she and Mr. Badger go to the field together, which is when they run into Mrs. Fox’s parents. They have left their elder home to come and spend the winter with Mr. Badger and Mrs. Fox because they really cannot get through the winter without some help.
The next day Grandpa Fox joins the rest of the family when they go out to look for food. Unfortunately, Grandpa’s presence seems to be more of a nuisance than anything else. Grandpa plays when they should be working, and then he falls through the ice on the frozen pond. Back at home, Mr. Badger loses his temper when Grandpa suggests that he will look for food the next day. As far as Mr. Badger is concerned, Grandpa is irresponsible.
Ginger feels rather annoyed with Mr. Badger because he is always worrying about everything and thinking about the future, which makes him gloomy and grumpy; which then makes life gloomy for everyone else. Something has to be done to chase off the winter blues.
In this charming graphic novel, the fifth in the Mr. Badger and Mrs. Fox series, we see how the Fox and Badger families cope when the hard grind of cold winter days get to them. For the animals, winter is a time of want and worry, but it does not have to be that way all the time. Children will enjoy seeing how the two animal families work together to bring light and fun into their lives during a trying time.
