Mr. Badger and Mrs. Fox 1: The Meeting
*Starred Review* This beautifully painted and sweetly told tale—the first in the Mr. Badger and Mrs. Fox series—tells how two different families meet, overcome suspicion of each other, and work to combine resources. Mr. Badger has his paws full caring for a baby girl and her two older brothers, one of whom is a Peter Rabbit–like mischief maker. Mrs. Fox and her daughter happen into the badger burrow when their own is invaded by scary dogs. Rendered as a beginning graphic novel, the story and characters are presented with plenty of heart and soul: expressive anthropomorphic faces and postures and rich dialogue require and reward engagement. Watercolor panels vary in size on folio pages, and balloons contain an easy-to-read font. Although the story is self-contained in this book, this promising start of a series translated from the French will leave American readers wanting the next story. Quality translation and art production, along with a hardcover binding that lies flat, are details that suggest this book can be a popular mainstay in collections for a long time. A delight on many levels, it is also big enough to share with small groups and detailed enough to make for a leisurely individual reading experience. Grades K-3. --Francisca Goldsmith