Adventures in Fosterland 3 – Baby Badger

Hannah Shaw's Baby Badger is a sweet animal story for 5 year olds about a tiny kitten who's decided he doesn't need other cats.

What happens

Badger is a newborn kitten, found all alone beside a bin in a snowstorm. His eyes aren't even open yet. A kind human scoops him up and carries him home to Fosterland, where he wakes up warm in an incubator with a teddy bear, a purple crocodile and a two-inch moose for company.

They're his whole world. He does all their voices himself (Monsieur Crocodile only speaks French, obviously). He's perfectly happy, thank you very much.

Then a stray cat called Mia comes in out of the storm and moves into his room. Badger does NOT want a neighbour. And by the next day she has five kittens!

Children will giggle at Badger's kitten safari, where he gives his toys a guided tour of the "wild wiggleworms" through the glass. He's horrified by the things mother cats do (bottom licking!). And one bold, cheerful kitten called Leeni just won't stop inviting him down for lunch.

Underneath the fun it's a really tender story about being brave enough to let others in. Badger clings to his toys because he's scared of being alone again. You can feel how much he longs for a mum, even while he's hissing at one. Mia sings him a little lullaby that's lovely to read aloud.

The very start is a bit sad, with a baby kitten nearly freezing in the snow. He's rescued by the end of the first chapter, but very soft-hearted listeners might like to know that's coming.

It's the third Fosterland book, and Badger's story starts from scratch, so it's fine to begin here. Who could resist a kitten who wins every race against his stuffed toys?

What to read next

If you'd like another baby animal who's lost and then found, try Emmett and Jez. Emmett is a piglet who tumbles off a truck onto the side of the road, and a friendly kitten called Jez shows him around Fosterland.