Bad Badger: A Family Story

Bad Badger #2

by Maryrose Wood, Giulia Ghigini (Illustrator)

From acclaimed middle grade author Maryrose Wood comes the heartwarming follow up to Bad A Love Story, the recipient of starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and School Library Journal. As Septimus and Gully grow from friends into a family, they weather the challenges of parenting, managing unexpected guests, and navigating the parameters of friendship.

To help raise a trio of gull chicks is a rare task for a badger, even a badger as unusual as Septimus. With three spotted fluff balls underfoot, hiding in his phonograph, and pecking at his seashell collection, Septimus has his hands full. To be perfectly frank about living with chicks is a lot to get used to. Especially when Gully is off fishing all day while Septimus—Papa Septimus—is left in charge. Just when it seems Septimus might get a bit of the bird-free, badger-only alone time he needs, a knock at the door brings a big eight visiting forest badgers!

As the chicks take to burrowing underground and gobbling up worms with their new badger family, Gully worries they will never learn to take flight. Can Septimus find a way to give the chicks a proper liftoff? Or will their family fall apart instead?

This young middle-grade novel is about stretching your wings and discovering what it means to be family—spots and all.

Genres: Middle Grade, Animals, Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Chapter Books, Found Family

208 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2026

About the author

Sending big hugs and loveawoo to all.

I'm so pleased to introduce you to my new book: Alice's Farm, A Rabbit’s Tale. In stores on September 1st; available for preorder now.

Alice is an eastern cottontail. Genus sylvagia, species floridanus. About three pounds full grown, if she makes it that far.

Life at the bottom of the food chain is no picnic! But that doesn’t worry Alice much. She's too busy doing all she can to save her beautiful farmland home—not just for herself, but for all the creatures of the valley between the hills.

Yup, all of ’em! Even that new family of farmers who just moved into the big red
house across the meadow. They don’t know much about farming, being from
the city. They mean well. But they’re easy pickins for the local apex predator (he's a real estate developer, in case you couldn't tell).

But Alice has a plan to help.

Rabbits helping farmers? That’s awfully unusual, isn’t it? Well, you're right
about that, young’un!

Let’s put it this way: Alice is no ordinary rabbit.

With loveawoo,
Maryrose

p.s. — If you could use a little extra pluck and optimism right now, please help yourself to THE SWANBURNE ACADEMY GUIDE TO SHELTERING IN PLACE.

You can download it right here:

www.swanburneacademy.com/freeguide

Reviews

[Grandma Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved following Claire on her journey to a new start. Claire moves to Chicago to start her life over after her messy divorce. I loved seeing her find herself and develop as a person. This was an uplifting and charming story. Outstanding narrator. Highly recommend!

I was blessed with an ALC. Thank you NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

'It's wonderful to have a flock, but we really have more than one. There's the family flock you're born with...and the family flock you make...If you're lucky, you'll have a flock of great friends, and they can be like family, too....Maybe there are flocks within flocks within flocks, and no one is completely alone, even if they sometimes feel they are." (pp. 193-4)

This quote made me tear up and I very rarely cry at books. Bad Badger as a series needs more love than it's gotten. I need this to be the next Frog & Toad level book. Maryrose Wood has created a character who is so sweet and thoughtful and, to be *perfectly* frank, absolutely and unapologetically himself. I have so much love in my heart for these books.

This entry is about family, be that mixed, extended, the one you're born into, or something in between. Septimus and Gully have gotten deep into raising the chicks. Parenthood has started to take a toll on their routine. And just when it all seems overwhelming, the forest badgers visit, leading to a clan full of help parenting and mischief. The book goes through the gulls growing up and learning new things, both gullish and badgerish. I loved the way everyone pitches in, but I especially love the relationship Gully and Septimus have. It's fantastic parent representation.

This is going on my year end list. As far as I'm concerned, this series is perfect and I hope there are more of them at some point. You need to RUN and get a copy.

[Jan Raspen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't remember how sweet these books are until I started listening to this one, and it took me right back to the quaint world of a bad badger and seagull. A short audiobook (around 5 hours), the narrator completely captivated me with his voicings for Septimus and Gully, the chicks, and all the badger visitors. The story itself is so charming and cozy, although this one leans a little more toward adult feelings as Septimus and Gully parent their three chicks. I think it's the perfect readaloud for elementary kids. The characters are charming and the vocabulary is just right for little ones to hear and visualize the antics of the animals. This book reminded me of the beginning of my teaching career (when we had time to read out loud to kids) when my first graders were captivated by My Father's Dragon and the Catwings books.
I'm not sure how much middle schoolers would take to the story, but I can totally picture a teacher or parent reading it aloud to first through third graders and having a grand time with it.

[Chelsea Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad Badger: A Family Story, written by Maryrose Wood and illustrated by Giulia Ghigini, is such a charming, funny, and unexpectedly emotional read. This series has such a wonderfully quirky premise; a badger with a love for life’s finer things like Italian opera and cuisine helping raise three young seagull chicks alongside their devoted seagull mother—and somehow it works beautifully. The family dynamic feels delightfully unconventional while still capturing something incredibly universal about partnership, parenting, and the chaos of raising young children.

What I loved most about this story is that it quietly acknowledges a truth many parents know well: the early years of parenting can be exhausting, messy, repetitive, and incredibly hard, even when your children are deeply loved. The book captures that tension so well. There are moments of frustration, exhaustion, humor, and tenderness that feel very real, and underneath it all is a gentle reminder that this season of life is incredibly fleeting. Childhood can feel endless when you are in the thick of it, but in reality it moves far too quickly. As a parent, that emotional undercurrent really got me. One of the final illustrations features Septimus sitting on the beach by himself, looking up at the chicks and Gully flying overhead, and I can easily imagine his feelings of pride, contentment, and joy.

This book honestly reminded me of watching Bluey in the best possible way. Children will absolutely enjoy the humor, warmth, and lovable characters, but I suspect many parents may be the ones quietly wiping away tears by the end. The writing paints such vivid imagery, the vocabulary is playful and rich (I especially loved the Italian phrases sprinkled throughout), and every character feels memorable. This is such a sweet read aloud that children will enjoy, but parents may walk away feeling especially seen.

The audiobook, narrated by Chris Devon and published by Dreamscape Media, provides an extra cozy quality to the story that my daughter absolutely adored.

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for entrusting me with an ARC of this title. It is truly appreciated and always such a treat to be able to read new books and share my opinions with fellow literature lovers.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Septimus and Gully are back! Last year we read aloud the first Bad Badger book and it was very sweet. Septimus is a spotted badger who enjoys all things non-badger, for example; opera, pasta, biking into town for cheese, tea and living in a cottage by the sea and so he feels like a bad badger. The first book is all about his friendship with a seagull named Gully who goes missing and at the end of the book you find out she was on the roof making a nest for her chicks.

The second book picks up with Septimus and Gully tag teaming parenting with the chicks which Septimus finds to be exhausting and wants time to himself BUT also doesn't want to miss anything while he is away (Ah, to be a parent). Anyway, this story is all about family. Eight badgers who Septimus met in the previous book also make an appearance and for a badger who has felt alone he sure has quite the village these days. The story is completely charming and the illustrations are beautiful. I think you could get away with reading this as a stand alone book but I wouldn't recommend it. The tag for this book says it is for middle grade and for all I know that is appropriate but my 6 and 7 year old can follow along just fine as a read aloud.


Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Septimus the badger and his friend Gully are back with a new heartwarming story. I am equally bewildered and beguiled by this one, just as I was with the first. Septimus is undeniably loveable, and Gully even seems more of a character in this volume, although we still do not get to hear her language or thoughts, only the badger's interpretations of them. The tiny flock of Young gulls are fun and the clan of Forest badgers is very funny. The characters all bring out the best in each other, encouraging others to step outside their comfort zone, see things from a different perspective or accept changing circumstances as they come. I love a good found family story, and I think young readers need to see characters coming together to support each other regardless of family ties or species. However, so much of this book made sense to me as a parent. It's very much a book about adjusting to parenthood, and I'm unsure if young readers will find that interesting or relatable. It's good to show characters that are emotionally intelligent, realizing their own fears and failings and being willing to work toward change. Kids should learn about that through fiction, but I'm just not sure how a young person will apply the lessons here when, to me at least, they are so clearly attached to parenthood.

[Roben]

I was so happy to see a new book about Septimus, the spotted badger. He has such a big heart and one can learn a lot from him. In this new adventure, Gully's eggs have hatched. Badger sets about to be the best Papa he can be but it is a LOT OF WORK! And he has to sacrifice things that he loves - like his seashells and trips to town on his tandem bike and visiting the fair... in order to raise the gulls properly. Gully is, of course, exhausted. Choosing to raise the three chicks in Badger's home means that she has to make many trips from the ocean to the house in order to feed the ravenous babies. Septimus supplements their diet with mushy pasta but it is all a bit overwhelming. Until the striped forest badgers arrive to lend a helping hand!

The baby gulls grow but decide they prefer badger traits to gull traits -- which could lead to unfortunate encounters with cats. So Septimus, the badger friends, and Gully have to come up with a fool-proof plan to entice the young gulls to overcome their fear of flying. Or several fool-proof plans when the first few don't quite work out the way they should...

A delightfully warm hug of a book, this would be a perfect book to read at the beach! Especially if there is a ferris wheel near by!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Septimus is a badger who lives in a seaside cottage, loves opera and collecting seashells, and long baths. With his best friend Gully, a seagull, he's now helping raise her three chicks. Parenting is a lot harder than he anticipated, what with having to pack away his seashells to preserve them, always being on the alert for the chicks, and not having any badger alone-time. Then, just as he's about to get some, there's a knock at the door and eight forest badgers show up for a prolonged visit. Agh! That is not what Septimus signed up for, but he does his best to be a good host and be more flexible. But then, the chicks are getting too badgerish for Gully--they don't want to learn to fly. What's a badger to do?

This was sweet and charming and realistic in how messy family can be, and a blended family at that. But worth it. I loved all the details of Septimus' world, even if I was a bit confused about where his cottage was in connection to the beach and the town. There seemed to be a cable car involved? But overall, just a delight. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.

[Lyon.Brit.andthebookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Report: Bad Badger: A Family Story by Maryrose Wood

In this gentle and whimsical follow up…Septimus the badger and Gully the gull are learning what it truly means to be a family…raising three lively chicks…navigating unexpected houseguests and figuring out how to care for one another through all of life’s little (and big) changes.

I absolutely adored Bad Badger: A Love Story…so I was beyond excited to get my hands on an early copy of this next installment and it completely lived up to that same quiet magic. If you’re looking for something cozy…comforting and a little nostalgic…this is such a lovely pick. It gave me those Peter Rabbit-esque vibes…simple on the surface but filled with warmth and meaning.

Yes…it’s a children’s book but I truly think adults will find just as much joy in these pages. There’s something really special about slowing down with a story like this.

Thank you Union Square Kids & Dreamscape Media for the gifted copies!

Releases 5/5

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...

[Aliceson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an adorable story! I liked it even better than the first one. Septimus and Gully are good friends. This story is about them raising their family together. The ups and downs of raising baby sea gulls and watching them become independent. I liked that it was about 2 friends raising a family, that’s not a viewpoint you see very often. Families can be made up of lots of different people and this family is made up of badgers and gulls. I love how Septimus reminisces about the gulls as babies, but also how he’s honored to watch them fly. The author does a marvelous job of putting in little tidbits of wisdom. This reminds me of my very own chick getting ready to leave the nest and how I can’t wait to watch her soar. I read this as an audiobook and the narrator did a great job with the different voices, and also gave personality to Gully and the sea gulls.

Recommend for grades 2-5, for students who like animal stories or just a feel good read.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

The sweetest sequel! I loved Bad Badger: A Love Story, and Maryrose Wood's follow-up novel about our favorite badger-gull duo was just as endearing.

What I loved:
- The supporting characters: As stated in the title, this is "A Family Story," and as such, Wood adds many family members (and found family members). These characters add delightful layers of conflict and humor, and I loved seeing Septimus and Gully evolve in their respective roles as patriarch and matriarch of the household.
- The curricular opportunities: This would be a great read aloud with young readers. From the narrative arc to the character development, there's a lot to discuss with students. The book also provides fantastic opportunities for conversations about family, as well as risk-taking.

I hope Maryrose Wood continues to write more books in this series. I will certainly be reading them.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't love badger and seagull Septimus and Gully who are an unlikely pair of friends. And at the end of the first book, Gully now has chicks and they are living in the house with our friend, the badger while Gully goes back and forth. Trouble is, Septimus's badger family has taken up his invitation to visit but with the chaos of three chicks, he doesn't know how it can all be handled. Luckily his badger family decides to dig their burrow out back (and make it fantastically nice when doing it) this is all while encouraging the chicks to do badgery things and gully things. But the gully things are more important- learning to fly.

It's heartwarming on every level. I love the organization of the chapters with the quotes and the flow of the story that doesn't take a lot from the reader to simply love, adore, and enjoy the chaos and friendship and coziness.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad Badger: A Family Story

I absolutely loved Septimus and Gully in Bad Badger and was so excited to receive a copy of this from NetGalley and return to their world!

Septimus, my favorite spotted badger, is helping Gully with her babies! Experiencing mixed feelings and a growing friend group, Septimus has come quite a long way from the first book. Being lonely is harder to do when you have so many lovely friends encouraging you and reminding you how special you truly are!

As a parent, this was such a beautiful story for not only my littles, but for myself as well. I love when a book can have so much meaning to it, without bogging it down for them. This was another perfect blend of a children’s story with a deeper meaning. Highly recommend it!

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Septimus has been running himself ragged caring for Gully's chicks, and could really use some alone time. Luckily, help arrives . . . though it's not exactly what our favorite badger had in mind.

This is a very sweet return to the tale of Septimus the badger, a fellow who cherishes his Hobbit-like existence, but has had a family thrust upon him. As he is quick to learn, sometimes things don't go as we wish when it comes to families, but don't worry, as both Septimus and the reader are rewarded with the happiest of endings.

Many thanks to Union Square Kids and NetGalley for sharing.

[Erin Wilkens · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narration of this audiobook is so sweet and I love the representation of Gully’s language and Septimus’ accent.

Septimus finds himself a little bit in the deep end with his commitment to Gully and her three chicks and finds out parenthood isn’t all sunshine and lollipops. I think this is a great story about staying true to yourself, finding your own place in the world and growing and supporting your found family. I’m not sure if the stories would resonate with middle grade readers so much in terms of the loss of identity in parenthood, but there is still plenty to learn from the friend dynamic, responsibilities and the community of the forest badgers and the flock.

[Tweller83 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very sweet. I liked it maybe a little less than the first but it is still great about making a "flock" for oneself. I especially liked how they used both additional badgers and additional seagulls to help these chicks find themselves and take a break now and then. I also liked how at least Badger went out of his comfort zone and tried new things. Very well done, but then I love Maryrose Wood's writing. Another one for the "read to zero" project? Unsure, but I do love her writing. Highly recommend.

I received a free copy from libro.fm as part of the educator audiobook listening copies. All opinions are my own. #librofm #dreamscapeaudio

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was utterly charmed by the first Bad Badger book, so I was disappointed that this one didn't live up to my expectations. It was fine. It started a bit slow, telling how Septimus and Gully were going about raising the three seagull chicks. Once the forest badgers arrived in the story, it picked up a bit. It has a nice message about the family you're born to and the family you make. Review from e-galley.

[Rural Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advance copy of this book. Maryrose Wood has a special knack for creating unique stories and this story follows in that tradition. It is a fun and lighthearted read, but also has deeper thoughts that run below the surface. While the story deals with an animal family, there are family dynamics that parents might want to explore with their children to help guide their understanding.

[Katie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for the opportunity to read Bad Badger: A Family Story. My kids and I loved the first story in this series and were eager to jump back into the world of Septimus and Gully. We were not disappointed. The sequel was excellent. It was whimsical, fun and full of life. The predicaments of parenting felt so authentic. It is a great book for parents and kids both. We absolutely loved it.

[Stacey Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I know that my students will love it too. It was a quick and easy read with relatable characters. I loved how we were able to see Septimus grow and learn as a new dad throughout the book. As a mom, I was able to connect to so much that Septimus was going through as he learned how to deal with the stresses of parenting and learning to let go.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Bad Badger books. They are sweet, funny, and wise. I’m definitely drawn to the theme of found family, too. We do get translations of Gully’s caws in the text, but major kudos to the audio reader for his endless variations of that single word. This is as close to a Wind in the Willows vibe as you’re going to get from a book written in 2026.

[Engel Dreizehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like the first book i thought it was cute, witty and cozy. Nice to see Badger and his Gull friend together again and taking care of the gull kids too! Narrative gets even funnier when the rest of Badger's family arrive and they all have a day at the fun fair which is cute too.

[Magen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful family story! It was so lovely and special. Families look different but they’re all just as important as the next. I teared up several times, I love Septimus and Gully and their babies!

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square Kids for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very smart and well thought series, that in such a subtle way passes a lot of emotional and deep advice. Finding a place to belong and feeling that one can have a place/ family to belong. Flocks within flocks, within flocks there is certainly a place for each one of us where we are not alone.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

EARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
This is a fantastic follow up to Septimus and Gully’s first story, and it is a great choice for younger advanced readers.

[Laurel Zeisler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as the first book, if not better. I was transported into the world of Septimus and Gully and their family. Heartwarming and I highly recommend it.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as sweet as the first book, though this one focuses even more on the idea of found family.

[B Croz · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5?

[Hailee Mumme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in one sitting and enjoyed it more than the first book!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. A statement on found family.