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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Stayton Public Library | E BUNTING | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
There are lots of things Little Badger can do that Old Badger can't manage to do very well anymore. But Old Badger can still show Little Badger a few tricks to teach him how to become a badger extraordinaire--like how to catch fish, where to find worms, and how to get to the honey before the bees get to you. Old badgers are supposed to teach little badgers, he says. It's all part of the plan--and so is nap time! *The first book in a new character-based picture book series from an award-winning author *Children's Book-of-the-Month Club Selection *An intergenerational story with classic appeal for children, parents, and grandparents
Author Notes
Eve Bunting was born in 1928 in Maghera, Ireland, as Anne Evelyn Bunting. She graduated from Northern Ireland's Methodist College in Belfast in 1945 and then studied at Belfast's Queen's College. She emigrated with her family in 1958 to California, and became a naturalized citizen in 1969.
That same year, she began her writing career, and in 1972, her first book, "The Two Giants" was published. In 1976, "One More Flight" won the Golden Kite Medal, and in 1978, "Ghost of Summer" won the Southern California's Council on Literature for Children and Young People's Award for fiction. "Smokey Night" won the American Library Association's Randolph Caldecott Medal in 1995 and "Winter's Coming" was voted one of the 10 Best Books of 1977 by the New York Times.
Bunting is involved in many writer's organizations such as P.E.N., The Authors Guild, the California Writer's Guild and the Society of Children's Book Writers. She has published stories in both Cricket, and Jack and Jill Magazines, and has written over 150 books in various genres such as children's books, contemporary, historic and realistic fiction, poetry, nonfiction and humor.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-While out walking with Old Badger, Little Badger asks, "Can you do this?" as he jumps, somersaults, and climbs. Old Badger admits that while there are many things he is no longer able to do, he still has much that he can teach the youngster. Through Old Badger's wisdom, they enjoy a plentiful earthworm lunch, eat honey from a hive, rake mud from their claws, and catch a fish from a stream. As they curl up together at the end of their day, Little Badger asks his elder how he knows so much. Old Badger responds that an old badger taught him and that when Little Badger is old, he will pass what he has learned on as well. Warm-toned gouache illustrations create the ideal scene for the tender interaction between two generations. Children will drink in the detail, from Old Badger's striped coveralls and spectacles to the small green frog that follows the pair on their walk. Little Badger's gleeful energy is matched by Old Badger's patient amusement. Twinkling fireflies, the rosy sky at sunset, and a cozy hole in the bank under a badger-faced moon create a warm feel. A sweet intergenerational story that captures the joy of a day well spent with one well loved.-Carolyn Stacey, Jefferson County Public Library, Golden, CO (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Bunting (Smoky Night) features two badgers walking along a forest path at sunset in the opening shot of this somewhat plodding intergenerational tale. When Little Badger proudly shows off his ability to jump, roll down the hill and climb trees, he says, "It's sad that you are old now and can't do many things." Old Badger answers, "There are some things I can't do now... But you help me remember how it was when I was young. And that makes me happy." Unfortunately, there is little tension or development in the plot. Through the remainder of the book, Old Badger patiently instructs Little Badger in one task after another. The young one's too coy questions ("How do you know so much?") and the elder's preachy tone ("That's the way it was planned") make the characters' dialogue sound somewhat hollow; the artwork, however, succeeds in creating depth in the relationship between the two. Newcomer Pham suffuses her watercolors of the affectionate pair with glowing twilight tones and loving warmth. She captures Little Badger's insouciance and tumbling toddler exuberance as well as Old Badger's steady and serene demeanor. Ages 3-7. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Old Badger shares his wisdom and acquired lore with Little Badger in an affectionate conversation during their early evening stroll. The gentle back-and-forth banter between the animals reinforces Old Badger's experience and judgment while celebrating Little Badger's youthful vitality. Cozy woodland scenes, rendered in dusky forest greens, royal blue, and earth tones, illustrate a satisfying yarn that hints at the natural life cycle. From HORN BOOK Fall 2000, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A creaky old badger and a bouncy young one compare what they know in this affectionate idyll, Pham's picture-book debut. Dressed in well-worn pantaloons, the tubby duo stroll down the lane in dimming, golden light, their silent companion a cheery frog who draws viewers into each scene by looking out at them. Old Badger declines Little Badger's invitation to jump, roll, and climb, but reminds his frisky friend that age hasn't rendered him completely useless, since he can teach him such handy skills as the safest way to snatch a piece of honeycomb, how to clean muddy paws, and where to find the juiciest earthworms for lunch. Later, sitting on a riverbank munching freshly caught fish, Old Badger makes his point explicit: each generation is supposed to teach (and love) the next'`` `That's the way it was planned.' '' Bunting addresses both children and adults with disarming directness and Pham's art has a mellow warmth depicting two of the sweetest badger faces since Hoban's Frances. (Picture book. 4-6)
Booklist Review
Ages 4^-7. During "the time between sunset and dark," Old Badger and Little Badger are taking a walk. Little Badger jumps, rolls, climbs a tree, and asks the title question. Old Badger says he can't do those things easily any more. Little Badger thinks that's sad, until Old Badger shows his small companion where to find fat, juicy earthworms; how to catch fish; how to get at the honey without being stung; and how to get mud out from between his claws. Old Badger has obviously learned much from his long life. He tells Little Badger that he'll teach him what he knows because "that's the way it was planned," and he makes it clear that love and naps are part of the plan, too. This reassuring conversation about youth and age avoids being maudlin, thanks to Bunting's sure touch and droll characterizations. The animals are more "badgerish" than Russell Hoban's beloved Frances, and the gouache colors of the woods and stream look autumnal and dusky by turns. --GraceAnne A. DeCandido