The Woodland Badger
Holly Webb
Little Tiger

Poppy loves to visit her mum’s allotment very close to their home where there are butterflies and bees aplenty. One day after school she accompanies her mum who is hoping to collect some strawberries for their tea later that evening. However Mum discovers that most of them have been nibbled, most likely by slugs. Fred, another allotment holder, offers them some of his strawberries and also tells them of his pre-bedtime method of keeping the marauding slugs at bay. During their chat he also mentions that hedgehogs eat slugs and they and other wild creatures live in the nearby woods. Mum suggests they stay a bit longer and see if any show themselves. At dusk, first a fox appears and then a badger; the two watch the badger, spellbound.

The following day Poppy talks excitedly about the badger to her teacher, Mr Finch and he responds enthusiastically. Then Poppy and her friend Grace use the school library to do further research and that night Poppy is allowed to sleep out on their balcony in the hope she can get another sighting of Diamond, as she names the badger. She is excited to see not one but two badgers, Diamond and another smaller one she names Ruby.

But then comes some alarming news from Fred: the woodland has been sold to developers and they plan to clear it and build houses, which put the badgers’ home at risk. Poppy and her mum know they must do something. In collaboration with their neighbours, they launch a campaign showing everybody the importance of protecting natural areas and the wildlife residing therein.

Empowering and gently educative, this story shows readers how food chains work in addition to giving information relating to the diet, habitat and behaviour of badgers. A great story for lower KS2 readers.