Tidy

Product Information

They would also only drop off a case of books and leave us to run it – it was so lovely to have you on hand to chat to the children and recommend them books, as well as the small (but appreciated! Pete the Badger’s efforts to keep the forest clean, result in a lesson about the balance and interdependence of the natural world. He is allowed to have a small part of it back with the proviso that it is shared, and we all take care of it. Deforestation, development of towns, endangered animals and climate change are a few of the themes this book introduces for discussion or exploration. The contrasting use of white instead of green emphasises the destruction of the machines and everything seems lost until a man comes along who starts to plant new seeds.

The attention to detail is fascinating and the message, like the other books, is about our own part in the impact on the environment and the changes we might need to make. Your words, like your reviews, bring books to life and give them a voice before the front cover is even turned. You guys were so fab and Dawn was such a lovely presence in the schools - I will absolutely be in touch next time I'm in your neck of the woods. He snips off flowers that don't match, washes the birds, vacuums the forest floor and sweeps, scrubs and polishes until everything is spick and span.Bronnie is so lovely with the boys and we also felt that having a man enthusing about the books set a great example. However there is a message of hope in the final page where regeneration of growth has begun and the digger is enveloped by the greenery. None of the badgers in these books appear as active or irresponsible as Pete in Tidy, although wild badgers do go to some trouble to keep their sett clean and remove stale bedding away from any openings.

The authors of In The Forest use the pop-up elements to emphasise what has vanished and what is left. Some also introduce children to different weather patterns, and other amazing features of planet Earth. Emily Gravett’s engaging woodland creatures will appeal to fans of such classics as The Animals of Farthing Wood and The Wind in the Willows and the rhythmic, rhyming text is perfect for reading aloud. As well as providing plenty of giggles, it also carries a valuable message about the importance of caring appropriately for the environment. The Window is a stunning example of collage work which may inspire creativity in illustrations of children.

It might be interesting to compare different badger characters and look at some non-fiction about the wild animals to see if there is a realistic basis for representing badgers with these characteristics.

Emily Gravett's place in the world of children's books is already established but in Tidy she excels herself and will delight new audiences. Emily Gravett is twice winner of the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal and the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Bronze Award for Wolves and Little Mouse's Big Book Of Fears. Pete hoovering up the catalogue reference on the final page of Tidy suggests that he hasn’t reformed entirely and is always going to be tempted to interfere with things that should be left alone. In Tidy, the badger, Pete initially seems to be helpfully keeping things neat and tidy in the forest.From the creator of Meerkat Mail and Dogs, comes a very funny rhyming woodland story about the perils of being too tidy. Young children will enjoy the pictures, approachable characterisation and considerate message of ‘Tidy’. We see the result in a shocking double page spread: a mountain of black bin bags dwarves the starkly naked trees.