One clean badger (The Badger's Bath - Nick Butterworth)

Member Name: Karenwilson

Product:	The Badger's Bath - Nick Butterworth
Date:	25/07/01 (87 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good read

Disadvantages: none

Yet another trip to the good old library whereby my son finds another of Nick Butterworth’s books, what a great find. This author writes about a character called “Percy the Park Keeper” If you have never heard of the author Nick Butterworth let me tell you a bit more about him and his books.

** Nick Butterworth **

Nick Butterworth was born in North London in 1946 and grew up in a sweet shop in Essex. He now lives in Suffolk with his wife and two young children.

His inspiration for the Percy the Park Keeper books came from his many walks through the local park with the family and his dog called Jake.

Nick Butterworth has sold nearly two million copies and they are loved by children all around the world. Some titles to look out for are:

One Snowy Night
After The Storm
The Rescue Party
The Secret Path
The Cross Rabbit
The Fox’s Hiccups
The Badger’s Bath
The Hedgehogs Balloon


What catches the eye of the children to reach out and grab these books has to be the animations. The front covers are appealing to the eye and Percy Park Keeper looks such a happy old man. He wears a green old coat and a little green cap and really looks the part.

Percy the Park Keeper loves spending time with his animal friends, even though his work in the park keeps him very busy. The animals often need his help but sometimes his help is not appreciated like the time he gave badger a bath.

** The Badgers Bath **

Badger was having a lovely day digging around and getting filthy as usual. Percy Park Keeper invites him to tea but tells him that he must have a bath to clean himself up first. Badger is disappointed, as he hates baths and would rather remain dirty.

Outside Percy fills a tin bath with warm soapy water for Badger and fills it will all the things he likes when he has a bath. He puts in soap, a loofah, a backbrush, some sha
mpoo and no forgetting a rubber duck. He nearly forgot the jug for wetting his hair with so off he goes to get it. When he returns he finds no sign of Badger. Percy searched and searched but Badger was nowhere to be seen. Percy found it hard to understand that Badger did not like baths, because he loved them. Percy looked longingly at the bath and decided to hop in himself. Percy lazed around in the warm soapy water and then gazed up at the overhanging branches of a tree, a deep thought as to where Badger had got to.

Then, there was a sudden rustling above his head and something black and white moved amongst the leaves. It could not be Badger he thought to himself, as they don’t climb trees. He thought that it must have been a magpie. The rustling happened again and the next there was a loud CRACK followed be a SPLASH. Badger had fallen out of the tree and straight into the tin bath. He went straight under the water and reappeared coughing and spluttering and covered in soapsuds. Percy was spluttering to but only with laughter. He finishes off the story by saying “I see you have changed your mind about having a bath, I suppose you didn’t want to miss your tea.

Summary: