Proper Badger Would Never!

by Lauren Glattly, Rob Sayegh Jr. (Illustrator)

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie meets No, David! in this hilarious story of misbehavior and misadventure with a very proper badger.

Proper Badger has been invited to a party. He is quite pleased. He will wear his best coat and bow tie and be a very proper guest. He most certainly won't ruin the party because of his badger antics because, as Proper Badger assures us, he will be on his best behavior. *

Dig his claws into the cake? Have a little accident on the rug in the hallway? He would NEVER.

From debut author Lauren Glattly and New York Times bestselling illustrator of Seth Meyers's I'm Not Scared, You're Scared! , Rob Sayegh Jr., comes an uproarious tale about a badger who just can't suppress his badger-like tendencies. Perfect for fans of We Don't Eat Our Classmates and the Pig the Pug series!

* No, he won't.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Humor, Childrens, Storytime, Fiction, Juvenile

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2024

Reviews

[Rachel Holtzclaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book comes out on tuesday but i read it today and it's my favorite picture book of the year so far... it's going to be hard to top! very cute, very funny, also the birthday party was ON my birthday so i feel like i was meant to have a connection to this book.... there was a reason i saw it in the list of street smarts this week and it called to me!! anyway, read proper badger would never for clear skin and healthy crops ✨

[Donna Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, silly story of a badger attending his first party. The illustrations are rich in color as well as texture. No big moral to this story, just chaos and fun and a lot of dramatic irony. Really cute.

[Nicholas Perez]

Turns out that Lauren Glattly is the daughter-in-law of fame sci-fi and fantasy cover artist Michael Whelan. Would love to get this book for my nieces.

[Annamarie Carlson (she, her)]

I find this type of humor funny, but I can also see younger kids ending this book in tears afraid that a badger is going to show up at their birthday party to ruin it and bite them. Kind of wish there was a turn around at the end.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: Badger has been invited to a party. He has always wanted to go to a party. Badger doesn't know Claire, but he's sure she'll be excited to meet him. He is quite pleased. He will wear his bow tie and his little jacket with the buttons down the front. He thinks this will make him look like a proper badger. He is very proper.

Premise/plot: What would happen if a mail carrier DROPS a letter--an invitation--and that is subsequently found by a badger???? The badger--especially this oh-so-proper badger--might get all dressed up in his finest to attend a young girl's fifth birthday party. But does Badger belong?????

My thoughts: This book takes quirky to a whole new level. You may not be prepared for just how odd, quirky, different this one is. I think that will help in the appeal for some readers. I do think reading it twice would help. I think having it read aloud by a skilled person who has read and practiced would help even more. After all, there is PERFORMANCE elements in reading aloud picture books especially in a group setting.

The book could be potentially useful in TWO things. First, the book could help showcase the idea of unreliable narrators and subsequently teach the importance to paying attention to the details in the illustrations. The art of reading between the lines. Second, the book is great at showcasing circumstantial evidence. Perhaps my law nerd is showing, but the "evidence" is shown in the illustrations. It is up to the reader presumably whether or not you believe Badger's protestations or proclamations of innocence.

[Deepa Nirmal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the Proper Badger series came out recently so I got this book from the library. I am solidly middle-aged with teenage kids, why on earth did I want to get a picture book for the pre-school set? Because my daughter has very recently become a Badger, attending the University of Wisconsin - Madison. After the surfeit of badgers when we helped her move, I swear I am seeing badgers absolutely everywhere.

Anyway, this is a super cute book about a "proper" badger who is anything but. After finding an invitation to Claire's 5th birthday party that the mail carrier has dropped, Proper (and clearly literate) Badger decides the invitation is for him, dresses up and goes to the party. Naturally, mayhem ensues.

This would be a wonderful book to read to, and discuss with, a young child. Proper Badger would never! Or would he? What evidence do we have? What is the concept of an unreliable narrator? What is good party behavior? How is it that badger could read the invitation? How did he get to the party? Who sewed his clothes? It would be wonderful to listen to a child's interpretation of this story, while also discussing good manners and proper comportment.

I realize that it's sort of cheating to add this to my 2025 Reading Challenge. Proper Badger Would Never!!

[Nicole Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

In the vein of How to Dinosaurs..., Proper Badger has finally been invited to a birthday party and insists that he will be a Proper Badger. Craziness ensues as Badger is determined to participate in all the party traditions, insisting that all the disruptions were not his. Fun for laughs, this one can also help teach kids what not to do at a party, namely, to not act like a Proper Badger or otherwise.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

After he is invited to a human child's birthday by mistake, Badger decides this is an opportunity to show how proper of a badger he can be. He's dressed to the nines -- but clearly has no clue how to act at a party. He sticks his claws in the cake, he buries the cheeseboard to save it for later, and pees on the rug rather than wait for the potty. The conceit is hilarious and the execution matches. Collage illustrations add to the utter chaos of the party, as does Badger's innocent demeanor.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

There really are not many books that I've rated a 1 but I didn't like very much about this one. I dislike books where animals and/or kids destroy/mess up/create chaos for the sake of laughs. A badger accidentally gets an invitation to a child's birthday party and seriously destroys everything at the party. No redeeming message, no point, no cleaning up. Skip it.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book hooked me by the cover alone. So cute! I will say, that this was a cute book. However, for a young reader, there were many big words that they might need help with. Examples: decidedly, Camembert, particularly, categorically, irrefutably, etc. The illustrations are pretty cute though. This one is a good one for the right audience.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book if not quite as funny as I thought it would be. I'm sure the kids I bought it for will enjoy it. Proper Badger is, of course, not so proper although he thinks he is. When he is invited to a birthday party, (which happened by accident) he is thrilled to attend, and he leaves a trail of disasters along the way.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 2 out of 5]

Proper Badger is not so proper and actually has quite bad manners. I was expecting some kind of twist at the end, but was disappointed.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Lori Tart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Proper Badger is quite the mischief maker in this funny and adorable story. I liked that, for once, there was no twist ending, just a straight forward story. Keep this from my story time children, I would never! LOL

[Tina Hoggatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Badger has been invited to a birthday party and he’s going to be very proper – a proper badger. Only, his version of proper is not shared by his hosts and somebody isn't exactly telling the truth. Hijinks ensue. Fun illustrations by Rob Sayegh Jr.

[Katie L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasantly silly book that could be used to teach manners!!! Proper Badger is so proud of his behavior it’s just comical 😂 If you want to read a silly book to your older students, they could use this story as the basis for a prompt!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Proper Badger attends a party but behaves very improperly. Then he lies about it each time, claiming not to know how the misdeed occurred.
Probably humorous to small children.
SEL tie-in: truth telling, proper behaviors.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the illustration style - reminds me of Eric Carle’s work. The story is a vocabulary stretcher, but I’m not sure little kids would quite get the sarcasm (or whatever this sort of “opposite speak” should be called. Maybe I’ll get a chance to try it out on some littles and find out.

[Meghan Bohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why Wild Animals Don't Make Good Pets 101. Great book with fantastic illustrations.

[Heidi Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, and super silly, birthday story!

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler alert: Proper Badger is *not* proper!

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

So adorable! Proper Badger gets invited to a party and he has problems being a well behaved guest. Proper Badger would never bite the family dog, or would he? Love it!

[Elizabeth]

Proper Badger looked quite cute in his attire!

[Robin Leach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great illustrations.

Twist ending. Fuck those kids proper badger!

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious

[Rebekah Children's books · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do not like the eating.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but I was also very confused by it. The words said one thing, but I think the pictures were revealing a different truth. But I enjoyed the illustrations.

[Ashley Laffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, awesome book!!

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book for showing what is appropriate and inappropriate. And a great book showing the importance of setting boundaries.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preschool

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who wouldn't want a Proper Badger at their party? Such a funny book!